Blizzard Warning. Palin Halts Traffic.

16092008

STORM WARNING! The legal paperwork blizzard has arrived. Today we are expecting accumulations of 10-12″ of legal stall tactics, creating hazardous conditions for those trying to navigate through the Palin scandal we have come to know as “Troopergate”. So, before proceeding, make sure you’ve got your studded tires on, and a good shovel. Ready?

Today, we learned that five Republican lawmakers filed a lawsuit against not only Democratic Sen. Hollis French, who is overseeing the investigation; not only Juneau Democratic Sen. Kim Elton, who heads the Legislative Council, and not only independent investigator Steve Branchflower, but the bipartisan Legislative Council itself. The suit seeks to delay the infamous ethics investigation until after the election on November 4, or to remove French and Elton.

“There is no nonpartisan reason to complete this investigation until after the election,” said Anchorage attorney Kevin G. Clarkson. “We just want to take the politics out of it and bring fairness back into it.”

****(Chuckle break)**** Ohhhh my. (dabbing eyes with a Kleenex) We’ve got to give some points to Kevin Clarkson for saying that with a straight face. We can’t have this getting all “political” can we? That would be just plain outRAgeous!

That hideously ‘partisan’ Legislative Council, made up of four Democrats and eight Republicans voted unanimously to investigate Palin’s dismissal of the Public Safety Commissioner, Walt Monegan.

So, the situation now is that we have five Republicans who are filing suit against members of their own party to stall this investigation. Methinks they have gotten a hint of what it might be like to be “in” with someone who could end up with real power, and they like it. Remember these names – Representatives Wes Keller, Mike Kelly, and Bob Lynn, and Senators Fred Dyson and Tom Wagoner. These Republicans (also known as ‘future ambassadors to obscure nations’ or God forbid something more important) have shown their cards, and made their stand. They have let us know who they are.

But perhaps the most disturbing thing to Alaskans on a local level are the new tactics coming from the McCain campaign which are directed squarely at Walt Monegan, former Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. Yesterday, McCain-Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton eviscerated him, saying he had a “rogue mentality” and accusing him of “insubordination,” “obstructionist conduct” and a “brazen refusal” to follow proper channels for requesting money.” Sounds like some good sound bites for those who have no idea what’s really going on.

Walt Monegan was, in a word, beloved. He was beloved by the troopers he lead, the people he served, and basically anyone who had the privilege of working with him. He cared about people, the important issues, and he was the real deal. There are many Alaskans today thinking, “Who do these people think they are to come here, and tear down the likes of Walt Monegan?” You have to remember, the rest of the country is “outside”. We are “inside”. That feeling defines Alaskans. We don’t like the government coming in here and telling us how to run things, dammit. And we don’t like outsiders ripping apart respected public servants in our town.

Palin has used every excuse in the book for dismissing Monegan, including (in roughly chronological order) – she just wanted someone to take the department in a “new direction”, Monegan wasn’t doing enough to address alcohol issues in bush Alaska, he wasn’t doing enough to recruit new troopers, he wanted too much money in the budget for frivolous things like domestic violence and sexual assault prevention. Through all of this flip-flopping and grasping at straws, Palin has never hit below the belt. Until now. When Monegan was employed, Palin praised him, and when he was dismissed, Palin adamantly insisted that this was not over personality issues. She knew how well-respected he was, and how it would affect Alaskans’ opinion of her if she slammed him. Now, she doesn’t have to worry about Alaskans anymore. We’re only 3 electoral votes. So now, she has stooped to the “rogue cop” defense.

And wait, there’s more. Remember when Sarah Palin filed an ethics complaint against herself in order to bully the Legislature into allowing a 3-person governor-appointed review board do the investigation? Well, she just asked for the case to be dismissed. That’s right, Palin’s lawyer Thomas Van Flein is asking the Personnel Board to find no probable cause for that ethics investigation. There are no words.

As the rest of the country is brought up to speed on Palin and all her shenanigans, Alaskans are seeing a side of her that many had not seen before. Her latest approval numbers may have been up because of the “Hometown girl makes good” factor, but these ugly Rovian “win at all costs” tactics will chip chip chip away at her support here.

I know this as sure as I know I’m going to need real studded tires soon.

Like this:

Related

Actions

Information

408 responses

16092008

Cynthia, TX(16:29:05) :

You go girl!!!

16092008

gizmo(16:31:23) :

I guarantee you the Palin stonewall effort is being run by Rove and his operatives on behalf of McCain. This is precisely the sort of thing they are good at. The interesting thing is that by resisting any discovery of the facts so fiercely, they are conceding that they are scared shitless about where the Troopergate issue leads.

Even her most ardent supporters have to see that there’s something rotten in Denmark, these days…

16092008

mooseturd(16:36:12) :

16092008

mooseturd(16:36:43) :

Palin Assinates Bullwinkle !

16092008

Blue Idaho(16:37:08) :

Wow ………………. Must pick chin off keyboard.

How does the State fight back? Can they? Can the public? Will they?

16092008

Sarah in CA(16:37:54) :

Unbelievable. I can’t even keep up with this bullshit anymore.

Has anyone seen the Daily Show lately? John Stewart is slowly becoming more and more pissed off. I think everyone’s just fed up. How do you fight crap like this? It makes my head explode.

16092008

JenaGG(16:40:04) :

Mudflats is a girl? Yeah! Girl power! Don’t know why I thought you were a dude. Anyhoo …. If I hear one more suspicious Palin story, I’m going to be convinced that she’s the anti-christ or at least one of his angels … tryna lay low in a colder climate. I see you Palin … I see you.

And wouldn’t it be something if McCain/Palin LOST Alaska? That would be hilarious.

16092008

FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin(16:42:44) :

Both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert last night took Palin and McCain to task. Thank goodness they are back on the air. Looking forward to tonight’s show- but as I posted earlier,and as Sarah in Ca noted, Jon is getting angry- he was VERY angry last night when he brought up the rape kits. So was the audience.

By the way, Sarah in CA- if you don’t mind sharing, where are you? I am in the Bay Area.

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(16:42:56) :

All of this is just so dizzying. Thank God I have enough Mudflats behind me to sort of get it. Every day a new revelation. Every day a new low. Just when I think I have a handle on it, another one SLAPS me in the face. Wow. Just wow.

Slap Spear Spalin

16092008

Who's On First(16:43:26) :

Follow the money. Just who is bringing this suit? According to the AP, attorney Kevin Clarkson and the Liberty Legal Institute are donating their services. The Liberty Legal Institute, based in Plano, Texas, is a group that, according to their own website, brings legal actions “to increase religious rights”. They are, again from their site, “the flip side of the ACLU.” Now, why is an ultra right wing fundamentalist group essentially financing a lawsuit in Alaska, the subject of which has nothing to do with religion? Couldn’t be politics. Nah……

16092008

Karl(16:43:53) :

So Olberman is reporting that Gov. Pallin cut the funding for Special Olympics.

Is this even remotely true?

16092008

mooseturd(16:44:42) :

Palin Sinking Fast – (Pass this along to any nervous Democrats that you know…)

How can we fight back about this cover up that their trying to pull. I mean the whole country, ( if not the world ) knows about Troopergate and right in front of our nose their trying to pull a cover up, to me this suit to delay this investigation is as corrupt as it gets. Isn’t their a petition we can get going to make them go forward with this investigation?

16092008

Dee(16:47:31) :

There’s an old joke that I think applies here… What do you call 20 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start!” What a mess!! These people are beneath contempt.

16092008

Small Town Girl(16:47:59) :

Gee, aren’t these the same people who argued that President Clinton had to be deposed during his presidency about the Paula Jones matter? What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the moose!

By the way, any of you Bay Area posters think it is time for a Women Against Palin demonstration in our area?

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(16:48:00) :

@Who’s On First—well, that comment sure clears it right up for me. Good God!
When will this crap end? She Who Will Not Be Named (SWWNBN) does not deserve to be in the White House. Nor does SWWNBN deserve to get a paycheck cut from us decent folk out here. Well, when will this all end?

@Karl–I had read that on one of the many blogs I read. So, probably is true:(.

16092008

FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin(16:49:17) :

I just hope that America is smart enough to see that this is nothing more than the Bush Administration’s playbook- just ask Scooter Libby or Alberto Gonzalez or Dick Cheney (if you can find the bunker).

I mean, Obama is going out of his way to point out to people that McCain and Palin are the same as Bush, and they are going out of thier way to do exactly what Bush and his friends would do in this situation. They aren’t even trying to be subtle, and that is what has me SO FRUSTRATED because people just don’t seem to care.

So thanks to AKM and everyone on this site who remind me every day (more than once a day too, if I am being honest!) that there are some people who do care.

Now, I am off to get my postcards……

16092008

drchill(16:52:24) :

Walt Monegan –

” … saying he had a “rogue mentality” and accusing him of “insubordination,” “obstructionist conduct” and a “brazen refusal” to follow proper channels for requesting money.”

Sounds like a whats the word – Maverick !

16092008

FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin(16:53:07) :

Small Town Gal- Absolutely!! Rather like preaching to the choir around here, but hey, just because Obama has a nice lead in California (I just saw an article about it in the Contra Costa Times, but am not very good at posting links- sorry!), doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be heard as well.

I think it sounded like there would be a way to do regional groups under the new “revised” mudflats- once there, let’s see how many we can pull together! If Alaska can do it, SO CAN WE!!

Course, we COULD think bigger….. What if we all picked a day and staged rallies across the country? From California to Florida! I bet THAT would get the MSN’s attention.

16092008

BJA(16:53:14) :

Is there someone in Alaska with the clout to take this on and shake some sense into people? Is there anyone who can stop the McCain manipulation in its tracks?

First I do not like Fox news. But I was flipping through the channels and caught this on Bill Oreilly:
Bill had two Fox news reporters reporting that the commissioner was going behind Palins back and the reporters felt Palin did nothing wrong.
Bill said he trusted the reporters from Fox News. The reporters went on to say that Palin is being attack for Political reasons…
Well thats Fox News for you….
I wish Bill had citizens from Alaska to talk about this issue not someone on the payroll of the repulican party.

16092008

FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin(16:54:05) :

Oops– I meant that would get the MSM’s attention! MSNbc could come too!🙂

16092008

MissSue aka Barrel McRaven Palin(16:54:11) :

I’m confused. I don’t support SP., and I certainly don’t want her to be VP, but isn’t she “proud” to be from Alaska? Doesn’t she love the people of Alaska? I realize she’s proven herself to be a phony, and not as transparent as she’d have us believe, but this is her home state. Electorial votes aside, it’s where her parents live, where her children go to school, where her family is; wouldn’t you think that at some point she would say, and I quote Obama here, “Enough!”. Has she no personal strength at all? She will have to face these people again one day. And carrying a cross and bible into the room when she does so isn’t going to make her a Christian. I’m amazed that those who support her for her Christian beliefs have not seen this ugly side of her as very very un-christian.
Sarah Palin, grow a pair, and stop letting these nutjobs destroy what little bit of respect you might have left.

16092008

Sue(16:54:26) :

It would be poetic justice if, after losing the vice presidency, Sarah Palin then returned to Alaska and were impeached. : )

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(16:54:52) :

@ FiredUp–let’s do on the 28th of September. If my memory serves me right that’s the day the Fundamentalists are having a day of prayer or something like that. I’m sure with the help of Women Against Palin we could get it up and running!

16092008

Georgia peach(16:55:55) :

please, oh please…. let’s win at all cost. then let the world find out about how unethical the new VP is!

we have to get the vote out for Obama. I cannot believe that there is a possibility that this woman might end up in the whitehouse.

I hate that the market is suffering, but glad that it is finally becoming the focus (so it seems). Bush won’t talk about it because he’s clueless, but thankfully, McCain IS talking about it because it shows how incompetent he is. I’m happy Obama called him out on forming a commission. “Passing the buck” indeed.

16092008

shilo(16:56:11) :

Do you think if enough of us write in protest to these 5 republicans that are filing this suit it might help. It will show them people are aware of what their doing and just might be held accountable if the McCain/Palin ticket goes up in smoke.

I think that actually might hurt, believe it or not. Knowing this Legislature, the only pressure that might work would be from Alaskan Republicans. Any Alaskan Republicans out there? Independants or Non-Partisans might work too. But Democrats or out-of-state people wouldn’t help. Sigh… AKM

Think Progress even points out where you can see the veto’s. Has anyone else confirmed this?

16092008

FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin(16:56:33) :

Does anyone have a connection with Women Against Palin?? It would be nice to have the help of an already organized group.

I think it would be a great thing if we all stood up on one day and showed the world that Sarah Palin does NOT speak for us.

16092008

Mil(16:58:02) :

Ugh, reading that on top of a full meal… I’m a bit queasy now. *deep breathes*

I used to respect McCain. But since this whole Palin thing and all of the Rove tactics that have come along with it, I just can’t stand the man or his campaign.

He really is like the rude and demented uncle at the family reunion that everyone avoids like a contagious disease except for the one or two suck ups that are hoping for a mention in the will.

16092008

Let'sGetReal(16:58:27) :

Well John McShame has more than 10% point lead over Obama in the electoral.

Again, no one offered any suggestions when I posted the alarming statistics of African American’s in key swing states who are not registered.

Florida, Florida, Florida!!!

16092008

Karl(16:59:04) :

Should I be fair and at least ask the question….was she justified in cutting the budget in half? Does the Special Olympics Organization in Alaska need that much money?

Yes, it looks bad…but to be fair, is there any logical explanation for that cut?

16092008

banjobailey(17:01:05) :

The pressure that these 5 Republicans are under must be unreal. Unreal for people in Alaska, that’s for sure.
But, it may come down to the people in Alaska themselves who will be able to save us. All the rest of us. Americans in the “48”.
Keep it up Mudflats. You are GREAT and we need you.

Let’s Get Real — where are you reading those electoral #’s? I know Gallup’s kinda a joke these days, but they do have the race at 47-46, in McSame’s favor.

16092008

drchill(17:03:14) :

Sue (16:54:26) :

After impeachment-

“Palin – Dog Catcher
with experience 2009”

16092008

billy delyon(17:03:46) :

Great post. Been loving your site since I discovered it a little over a week and a half ago. Keep up the great work. You’ve really given all of us a lot of insight into a person we knew nothing about. WE LOVED pictures from the Sarah protest and the video footage, was great to hear all those intelligent women comment on the Gov.

Can any of you keep up with all the lies that have been told about the Gov.?

Mercy.

16092008

Susie in Jersey(17:04:49) :

@MissSue aka Barrel McRaven Palin:

She’s as egomanic, Miss Sue, and thus can’t see that anything she does is wrong.

I have an issue with “McRaven” – ravens are wonderful creatures, please not to associate them with McCain/Palin. 🙂

16092008

Let'sGetReal(17:05:20) :

Sarah in CA, 538 website

16092008

Susie in Jersey(17:05:35) :

of course, I meant “egomaniac” – that would be nice to have on the new blog – an opportunity to edit our typos.

16092008

Nebraska Native AKA Froth Moonshine Palin(17:06:47) :

OMG… Rachel Maddow is on a roll… Mudpuppies, take heart and watch her, it will help you BREATHE!

16092008

Sarah in CA(17:10:30) :

@ Let’s Get Real – thanks! But yikes, that’s frightening. Obama’d better get his butt to Virginia and Ohio!😉 Or better yet, Florida.

What’s more frightening is the thought of electronic voting machines that still don’t work right/can be hacked. I’ve lived in MD, NY, and CA, and have always used paper ink or punch ballots. Why can’t all the states do this? Seems like the odds of electronic tampering are so high, I don’t see the point.

16092008

LibertyLover(17:10:32) :

Here’s hoping that when McCain/Palin get defeated at the polls in November, that neither one will also not be able to get elected as dog-catcher. Sadly, he will be my Senator for a few more years, and I don’t have the faith in my fellow Arizonans that they will not fill in the arrow next to his name for another 6 year stint. But I can hope.

16092008

Political Amazon(17:12:13) :

Sweet Baby in a Manger! She is freaking NUTS. She’s even more NUTS than Richard Nixon was.

I think that her running for VP may well be her downfall. Her delusions of grandeur and invicibility are leading her to take great risks that may well destroy her career and family finances. If this goes far enough, even the most gullible conservative money bags will back off. But she will still have problems to address, and those problems may be very expensive.

If she was at all rational she would not have accepted the VP nod with her diastrous family situation and her impending ethics investigation. She has opened her family up to public scrutiny, and she does it more and more every time she pimps them for voter brownie points on the campaign trail.

She also would not have accepted the VP slot while being investigated for ethics. With all the public scrutiny, and now the desperate stonewalling of her GOP handlers, the increased efforts to justify the ethics investigation to a new and larger crowd will–I predict this now–end up outing even more scandals, some of which may be very difficult to put behind her.

For us political junkies, it is comforting to know that there won’t be the huge let-down after election day, when all the mania stops, because we will have Sarah Palin and her bottomless pit of scandals to keep us revved up for YEARS.

16092008

Sue(17:13:33) :

What is frightening to me is that there are millions of people out there who will vote for McCain no matter what the truth about him is. They just accept him at his word. And even when you show them the facts, they choose to ignore them. Today I heard a talk show on our local NPR station. They interviewed several women. One of them was a democrat who said she was very excited to see Palin on the ticket. She planned to vote for Palin/McCain this time because she supports Paoin’s wish to drill in the ANWR. The radio host pointed out to her that McCain opposes drilling in the ANWR, but this lady just ignored that fact and restated her intent to vote for Palin. I shouldn’t let these kinds of things upset me, but I find it scary when people ignore facts and just forge ahead. : (

electoral vote.com has McCain with a ten electoral vote lead but with a couple of dozen undecided votes also so neither is over 270. The other tallies have been swinging wildly lately as there have been a number of state polls just released. Hard to say how much this means. So many states are so close in the polls that if Obama is being undercounted even a few percent he would win by a landslide.

16092008

judi(17:14:23) :

@Nebraska Native…Yes, she is great, isn’t she? You go Rachel!

16092008

MJC(17:14:25) :

Go to Larry king Live right now and vote which candidate is most likely to get us out of the Econonmic mess!

[[[Should I be fair and at least ask the question….was she justified in cutting the budget in half? Does the Special Olympics Organization in Alaska need that much money?

Yes, it looks bad…but to be fair, is there any logical explanation for that cut?]]]

Karl, let me answer that for you. NO, NO, NO, FRACKITY NO!

If she can get millions in pork for meaningless and unnecessary projects in Alaska, she could have rustled up some pork for Special Olympics funding.

The fact that subsequently a special-needs child was born to her family is certainly ironic.

16092008

antiAnti(17:17:37) :

Pls help settle an argument. It was Palin that asked for the ethics review, wasn’t it?

16092008

Let'sGetReal(17:18:33) :

Is it possible to have a Dem & Repub present to make things fair when reporting the totals at a polling precinct? Are can the numbers be manipulated offsite?

16092008

Sarah in CA(17:18:42) :

I believe if Obama can win every state Kerry did in ’04, PLUS Ohio, he’ll win.

Come on, Ohio!🙂

16092008

pamela(17:19:12) :

AKM,

I’ve had the impression that the Anchorage Daily News tends to be generally pro-Palin, but the editorial page http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/ seems to tell a different story. There are editorials on her social views, Troopergate, the first dude’s email, etc., and ADN categorically state she’s taken executive privilege too far (hmmm, sounds like…) My favorite line: “But the Palin administration can’t call for transparency and then duck and cover and expect to be taken seriously.”

So for those of you who can’t convince friends and relatives with postings on the “dangerously left” blogosphere, have them check this out. It beats Fox News!

16092008

whabs(17:20:23) :

@ Liberty

I lived in Arizona when I first turned 18 and began voting. I helped recall Dennis Deconcini. Maybe Arizona will wake up!

I’ll cross my fingers for you.

Seattle, WA.

16092008

judi(17:21:13) :

Sue–you are so right. It is frightening that people hear and know about that McShame is wrong and will vote for him anyway..That means we have to work just that much harder to elect Barack Obama..

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(17:24:46) :

@no more (16:53:17) :

McCain’s spokespersons Stapleton and OCallighan are calling the Investigation “TASERGATE!!!

Of course they are, Wooten has admitted that he gave his immediate family a demonstration of the taser.

Probably most of Alaska doesn’t even know the truth about the taser thing.

16092008

LJP aka Revolver Trooper(17:24:48) :

This is just vintage Bush/Cheney/Rove/McCain stonewalling and coverup.
1. Karl Rove refuses to testify before Congress about anything–if it is under oath.
2. Ditto Harriet Miers, Bush’s former secretary.
3. Bush and Cheney claim executive privilege on anything and everything. They’ve lost/destroyed emails.
4. It is quite probable that Rove and others did political business in the White House (against the law) and then dumped emails to cover up what they did.
5. Troopergate has much in common with the firing of U.S. attorneys who wouldn’t act as Rove’s political hit squad and use their prosecutorial power against Democrats. In Alabama, with the Don Siegelman case, Rove had a U.S. attorney willing to carry out a political prosecution and successfully put the Democratic candidate, a former governor, in prison on a seven-year sentence. That’s how far Rove is willing to go with political persecution and prosecution.

In some ways, Troopergate shows exactly why the Bush administration is so enthusiastic about Palin. She’s one of them. All Palin would need to do is tell McCain and Rove that she gave her word that she would cooperate and she will keep her word and cooperate. Instead, she goes along with the attempt to shelve this mess until the election is over and (in their minds) she is VP and can squash her crimes and misdemeanors all on her own.

It is unbelievable that, out in the open, these people are arguing that possible abuse of power charges should be shelved until after the election. Unbelievable. Or all too believable.

16092008

Lizzie(17:26:35) :

AKM: Excellently written!

Found this on TPM…..Palin now says she’s firing Monegan because he went over her head on seek Federal funds for a law enforcement program. It was a Sexual Assault program, part of which targeted child abusers.

2. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0809/14/fzgps.01.html – you need to read this transcript from CNN’s GPS show on Sunday. I was trying to post it earlier for ARKANGEL3 but it kept getting spammed. It has some excellent points re NATO (Georgia, Ukraine) as well as the “imminent” bombing of Iran.

Please be peaceful and good on the 28th. We need moderates and although Kos’ electoral board shows NC in an overwhelming support of McCain, I don’t believe that especially after yesterday. . .

16092008

ds55(17:27:38) :

I TOLD you so! MSNBC just explained O’Callaghan an attorney involved in the Palin Troopergate mess is a big-shot sent from New York. I KNEW she wasn’t just hiring some local-yokels. The McCain is behind this stinking pile o’ moose-doo.

Unfortunately, thanks to redistricting, if Obama wins all Kerry’s states from 2004 he’ll have something like 7 electoral votes less than Kerry did. It seems almost certain that Obama will carry all the Kerry states and one or two more. Not sure if this will be enough, though.

Now, for someone in the bowels of the Bible Belt, these are just downright fightin’ words as although we love our Church, we also love our Thomas Jefferson and the Bill of Rights. Many pastors are not planning to do this (IRS Regulations – small thing – might be okay for She Who shall Not be Named but not good for normal people) although there will definitely be some fundamentalists who will buy into this along with the Armageddon “October Surprise”

“The growing role of Edward O’Callaghan, who until six weeks ago served as co-chief of the terrorism and national security unit of the U.S. attorney’s office in New York, illustrates just how seriously the McCain campaign is taking the so-called “troopergate” inquiry into Palin’s firing last summer of Walt Monegan, Alaska’s Public Safety Commissioner.”

Hiring a hot shot out-of-state lawyer to handle this might be ANOTHER mistake Palin made. Even if there is nothing to this, Palin is making it look like a big deal and is sticking it to Alaska by making it a national big deal. It’s going to be in the news for the rest of the election.

16092008

Sioux(17:33:39) :

Redistricting has been done IN Texas since 2000… but the allotment per state is only done every 10 years, after the 2010 census will be the next adjustment… so the electoral numbers per state remain the same as 2004

Why did she agree to an investigation numerous times in the first place? Why change now?

What is Palin hiding?

16092008

sharon in canada(17:36:39) :

OMG …stop the insanity. How can any sane voter elect McCain/Palin? Why is there even a shred of doubt in anyone’s mind?They have to be stopped. This is serious stuff.Can you boot her out as Gov?

16092008

bree(17:38:08) :

Hey Palin, liar, liar, your lipstick’s on fire!

16092008

pamela(17:39:05) :

@plwalsh

The latest poll in NY shows McCain only 5 points behind Obama, but I don’t buy that. I live in the RED part of the state and I see mostly Obama signs. My guess is there are a few pissed off Hillary voters who might flirt w/ SP, but the more they hear about her, the less traction she’ll have. (Especially of we have a Tina Fey/Amy Poehler reprise on SNL, or a few women against Palin rallies locally.) But electoral-vote.com has Virginia is back to a tie – that’s a plus. I’m hoping next week’s polls will show us Palin has peaked. The McCain campaign can spin this all they want, but headlines that include the words “Palin” and “investigation” can’t be good.

16092008

proud2busa(17:40:04) :

@plwalsh:

Sorry – I keep trying to post this link, and for some reason it keeps coming back. Fingers crossed this time, and this will explain “things” –

Re: winning the Kerry states….http://www.fivethirtyeight.com has a probability chart (on the right, about mid-way down the page) for all possible scenarios. Nail biting numbers, but things are definitely looking up. GOP convention and Palin bounce smoothing out.

My middle schooler came home today and said, “Mom, know what Palin’s slogan is for anti teen sex?”

This is the URL to the Alaskan State Senate Appropriations Bill 221. As you scroll through the items, the ones with lines drawn completely through them and crossed out are from Sarah Palin, as a condition of her signing it into law. The lines that just cross out the $$ amount number but leave the name of the item there are just decreasing the amount allowed.

Page 100 lists the Special Olympic Slashing, but at least they get some money.

WIC (Women, Infants, Children) funding, a vital resource for women and children who live in poverty, providing infant formula and other basic needs, was CUT COMPLETELY: Pg. 99, same document. To cut funding entirely for the WIC program is as heinous of an act towards women as is the Wasilla Police Department, while Palin was mayor, making rape victims pay for their own forensic evidence collection kits. No, it’s worse. You just don’t cut the WIC program from your State budget. It is a Federal program and receives Federal funding, but States provide some funding, as well, because there are often expenses that your local particular needs warrant but which aren’t funded by the Feds.

I didn’t look at this item by item, but you will note that only ONE of Wasilla’s massive requests for funding was cut. Other areas, especially schools and social programs, were massively cut.

After years of political activism and political research, I returned to college and got a second degree, this time in a field that would give me the opportunity to make an impact on public policy by being the one who designs the programs that implements the public policies. I work for a government agency, and I daily work with State Assembly and Senate Bills, County Ordinances and Title documents, and frequently have to review voluminous federal documents to ensure that what the Board has proposed does not conflict with what the Feds mandate.

This SB 221 is the real deal. For it to be otherwise would involve putting together this very authentic-looking document and uploading it into the proper place in the Alaska website.

(Note when you go to through the PDF document for the page numbers I posted, these items are not the PDF document page numbers, but the page numbers of the SB 221 document itself.)

16092008

Blue Idaho aka Bash Budweiser Palin(17:42:58) :

Is there any rebuttlal from the Legislative Council?

16092008

proud2busa(17:43:39) :

@plwalsh –

Re Armageddon and “October Surprise” – golly, I’ve been trying for 2 hours to get a link to you guys.

If you will google CNN GPS Transcripts, the first one up should be from last Sunday’s show which touched on NATO Alliances (which by the way, one of the panalists stated adding GA was just insane), Greening of America, and finally, the growing tensions between Israel, Iran and the United States. One of the panelists stated that an attack was “imminent” and would happen before the election in November. YIKES>

I take hope in the news I am reading on MSM sites. The info and resources mudpuppies have researched and linked IS making the rounds as it were. We are talking, we are donating, we are sending postcards, we are reading and passing info on… it all has to make a difference. It simply has to.

16092008

Lizzie(17:44:09) :

For Californians, there are a number of “Nevada Drive for Change” events scheduled by the Obama campaign in the coming weeks. Hope to meet you there!

Ok. I can’t read this (wonderful, I am sure) post right now nor the comments (wonderful, I am sure); I have major homework I am working on right now.

Taking a hint from DeMo, Proud2B, and others, I am compiling a great little (or big) email, unbiased of course, to send to my friends and for them to forward to others on Palinesque. I’m planning on devoting a subject per email and including links to news articles & video clips. My first is dedicated to polar bears. My final email in the series will be a Mudflats love-fest along with the info on the rallies.

HOWEVER, THIS JUST IN: some dork on McCain’s staff is now crediting the old codger with helping to create the blackberry! Check it out yourselves:

Ok, I guess I must be the world’s biggest dumbass. I’ve been using computers and the internets (before it was even the internets) and I surely didn’t come up with the invention of the blackberry . . .But then again, I would have had to turn down the offer to run for VP of my country or, at least, have said, “Let me sleep on it.”

My HEAD hurts! I have so much reading to do in Mudflat land as well as putting together my multi-media presentation for friends!

Unfortunately, thanks to redistricting, if Obama wins all Kerry’s states from 2004 he’ll have something like 7 electoral votes less than Kerry did

Which is why we have to get Obama up by 20 points, so that we don’t get Diebolded in places like Ohio. How do we do it? By doubling our efforts, my fellow Mudflatners, and doubling our contributions to the Obama campaign. These last weeks are going to get vicious, and the campaign will need to be able to produce and air commercials virtually overnight, and that will take a LOT of money. Keep your wallets open, it’s really our only chance.

*

16092008

proud2busa(17:47:07) :

Agree with you, John Doe – we also have just a few more days to GET VOTERS REGISTERED!!!

My assumption is that the state polls are running several days behind the national ones so they don’t reflect the most recent shifts back toward Obama. They are also done at very irregular intervals, often by small in-state organizations, so in some sense you are always comparing apples to oranges when going from state to state. There just isn’t a 50-state all-at-one-time snapshot out there.

The polling methodology seems so off-base it is hard to believe any of it, though my sense is that they reflect some general trends one way or another. I’ve noticed that the new Daily Kos polls (which is not currently being included in the averages) gives ALL the background on how they got their data. There has been a lot of commentary on how screwy some of the polls have gotten, to the point of suggesting that some of them (e.g. Gallup) have been deliberately manipulated.

16092008

Anonymous(17:47:51) :

Bet the ranch—–Dobson is in this shit up to his beady eyes!!!!!!

16092008

TheraP(17:47:58) :

I honestly have no difficulty whatsoever comprehending how deeply distressing this whole thing must be for Alaskans. I think if this happened to any “neighborhood” (no matter the size) people would resent outsiders coming in and dividing people, slandering people, and meddling in affairs that are none of their business.

It seems to me that not only has mcShame poked the whole nation in the eye, punched us in the nose, kicked us in the groin and the kneecaps with the SP nomination… he has now sought to slash and burn in Alaska. It is really beyond decency what this ticket is willing to do in an effort to win. If SP would do this to her own state, imagine what she’d do to the country and the world.

I am disgusted on the hand and I deeply grieve on behalf of what Alaskans are going through. You have my heartfelt sympathy. And if this keeps up, someone may need to declare you a disaster area. Don’t count on FEMA or mcShame. But your fellow citizens will stand by your side.

16092008

Wilber(17:48:09) :

I have a concern.

To any person with half a brain and who doesn’t believe he will be raptured into the ether before Palin becomes President, Sarah Palin is totally unqualified to be a national leader. Probably 95% of the people who follow AKM believe that.

How do we move this information beyond this site. That’s the real issue. People that do not know the truth about her remain impressed. The McCain machine is going to do everything possible to shield her, control the message, and package her in a very appealing way.

In some ways following this site and posting here is a bit like preaching to the choir or contemplating our own navels. Most people that frequent this site agree Palin is a danger to the country. How do we get this information out. This stuff needs to go viral.

If we believe what is being said here we really need to spread the word. Links need to be emailed to friends. We need to stick some of these posts on conservative web sites just to piss them off. Get this site to college and university students. Students may be the key to victory for Obama.

What is written here need to go far, wide, and fast.

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(17:48:36) :

hey Proud – regarding my name …… I’m a Palin, now – I can make stuff up.😉

LetsGetReal – You should contact BarackObama campaign and tell them you
want to help in Florida. They will connect you with someone and let you now what is going to and what is available.

Also you can hook up with the local churches to find out if they are doing something.

There are so many African Americans who have not registered because let’s face why
did they need to. They’ve never trusted the system and the system has rarely done anything to support their needs.

Rarely does anyone say “we need to get the Black” vote. Unlike the hispanic vote or Jewish vote, or Catholic vote. They know Black as a rule don’t come out.

HOwever, this year is different and it will take footwork.Getting in the streets and in their face to get t hem registered.

I believe in order for Obama to win, it will be up to newly registered voters of young people 18-28 and African Amerian voters to push over the top

16092008

proud2busa(17:50:24) :

@POLITICAL AMAZON: “WIC (Women, Infants, Children) funding, a vital resource for women and children who live in poverty, providing infant formula and other basic needs, was CUT COMPLETELY: Pg. 99, same document. To cut funding entirely for the WIC program is as heinous of an act towards women as is the Wasilla Police Department, while Palin was mayor, making rape victims pay for their own forensic evidence collection kits. No, it’s worse. You just don’t cut the WIC program from your State budget. It is a Federal program and receives Federal funding, but States provide some funding, as well, because there are often expenses that your local particular needs warrant but which aren’t funded by the Feds.”

This is simply horrific and I cannot imagine any woman in her right mind not wanting to support this program. This has to get out to all woman organizations – how can I help?

16092008

Juneauite(17:50:30) :

I wonder what positions McPain promised those 5 in exchange for them filing this lawsuit?

Lawsuit against Troopergate Investigation? Palin looking more guilty than ever.

Misleading the people of the US to think that Obama is behind this investigation? Palin looking more guilty than ever.

Palin looking like a two face liar that she is? Priceless!

I actually live in a divided household where my husband is so into McPain while I am so not. He so often tried to convert me and I have been trying to make him see the error of his ways. Wish me luck in succeeding!

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(17:52:12) :

Do any of the Alaskans think that the sudden smearing of Walt Monegan will change voting in Alaska?

16092008

proud2busa(17:52:55) :

These DRILL, BABY, DRILL is driving me nuts. We are not socialists. We will not enjoy the profits (well, this may be changing if AIG somehow becomes more Government-managed – the SEC guys must be swirling around)

In addition, I don’t want these crazy people off my beautiful and delicate Carolina coasts. We are already losing shoreline, the shrimp are dying, and pollution is giving us the red tide (no, not communism! it’s some kind of algae that suffocates everything in its wake)

Obama campaign is doing a PA women for Change and a VA Drive for Change.
I am working with both of those campaigns since I am in MD.
www,barackobama.com

16092008

Hope(17:54:01) :

Can some of you give me advice? Tom Wagoner is one of the five, and he’s the state senator from my area here in Alaska. I know him personally, but not well. I think he would recognize who I was if I wrote. I would like to write to him about this, but what would I say that wouldn’t just widen the gap and do no good? Any suggestions? THANKS!

HOPE

16092008

Ohio Sue(17:54:19) :

OMG. I’m starting more posts with that these days….anyway, I have been appalled anew.

A group called Bornalivetruth.org (and you can just imagine what’s coming, can’t you) has a new ad which just ran in front of my very own eyes during the commercial break on the Rachel Maddow show. I would give you the website, but, honestly, I don’t want the site to get more traffic than it should. So, I give you the text of the ad (imagine it being read by a young woman):

Can you imagine not giving babies their basic human rights, no matter how they entered our world? My name is Gianna Jessen, born 31 years ago after a failed abortion. I’m a survivor, as are many others…but if Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn’t be here.

Unfortunately, Barack Obama voted four times against affording these babies their most basic human right. I have serious concerns about Senator Obama’s record and views on this issue, given he voted against these protections four times as a state Senator. Just as abuse victims share their stories to educate the public, fight for the common good and hope that as a result politicians do what’s right, I felt it was important to come forward and give these new born babies a voice.

I am living proof these babies have a right to live, and I invite you to learn more about Senator Obama’s record on this important issue.

I honestly don’t know whether I’ll end being 500 pounds or an alcoholic if this stuff keeps up.

If you read this in the last entry, forgive me. Was reading there when I posted it. Wanted to make sure you shared my shock and awe.

16092008

Sue(17:54:23) :

Oh, rats! Just when I was thinking it might be safe to go back to church again. If my pastor mentions politics AGAIN, I am going to get up and leave. AAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!!!!

16092008

crimelord(17:56:00) :

AKM, could you tell us something about this personnel board that Palin wants to review her ethics violations?All Republicans. All governor appointed. All were originally appointed by Frank Murkowski, one was renewed by Palin. Much easier to sway and control than the Legislature which is bipartisan and has many more members. This is obvious too, as evidenced by how hard she was trying to get the investigation done there.
AKM

You know, I really suspect that most people in the country ALREADY think Palin is not qualified to be president. The problem is a lot of them don’t care. There’s a certain element of the electorate which does not like the idea of brainy, well-educated, supremely qualified people in high office. They like the idea of ordinary and down to earth, the Mr. Smith goes to Washington ideal.

What is more likely to convince these people not to vote the Republican ticket is that they find out Palin is phoney, erratic, extremist, manipulative, power-hungry, or getting above herself. All of these things happen to be true and (given her decline in approval ratings) the point may be getting through.

16092008

Ohio Sue(17:56:11) :

can someone point me to a site to learn about html tags??

16092008

proud2busa(17:56:17) :

@Revlon Red: “hey Proud – regarding my name …… I’m a Palin, now – I can make stuff up.”

LMAO. Well, shoot my britches, I want to change my name then. Wonder if I get a CHOICE????????? Right now, I’m Krinkle Bearcat, but I’d rather be something illustrative.

16092008

LJP aka Revolver Trooper(17:56:40) :

Yow! Rachel M just said something I didn’t know–Bob Barr will appear on the PA ballot in November. That will help here with people who (sadly) are too racist or just opposed to Democrats to cast a ballot for Obama but who by election time will be fully sick of McCain. I expect Obama to win here anyway, but every little bit helps.

On another thought, there was an article on HuffingtonPost that asked Republican senators to speak out against their own lying, incompetent ticket. So I am going to write Arlen Specter tonight and ask him to do something about Palin, at least. I think we can put some pressure on people who do know better, who see this ticket for what it is and just need to know that others are wondering why they are just sitting on their hands. If you have a Republican senator, send an email. Ask him or her to tell McCain to pull his people out of Alaska and let the process play itself out; if McCain won’t do that, then ask the senator to publicly announce he won’t support the ticket. I’m still writing conservative commentators to thank those who have spoken out and encourage others to do the same.

Hey, I have TWO Republican senators! Think I can sway Ted Stevens or Lisa Murkowski? 🙂

16092008

DownInMississippi aka Jeep Pike(17:57:35) :

My head hurts! No time to read this great Mudflat piece or the comments–am putting together a series of emails to send to about 300 friends and ask that they forward to 300 friends (or bad things will happen to them–really). Each email will have links to news articles & videos and each will deal with a separate Palin issue. Working on polar bears first. The end of the series will be a Mudflats love-fest covering the rallies.

Good luck with the hubby! Same situation in my house…except that we finally had to call a Sarah Palin truce and decide that her name shall not be spoken in our home…we just can’t go there any longer. He was beginning to crack and then the stock market took a dive and he heard McSame say that the economy was in good shape one too many times. Now, I think he is questioning his views. It is a good start!

16092008

Political Amazon(17:58:07) :

[[…”Can you imagine not giving babies their basic human rights, no matter how they entered our world? My name is Gianna Jessen, born 31 years ago after a failed abortion.”…]]

I want to see an ad that shows children sucking on Koolaid because Sarah Palin vetoed Stated funding for WIC and their mothers cannot afford milk. They likely cannot afford food, either, and certainly not medical care.

Mr. President, I stand guilty as FRAMED! Because section 40 is graft! And I was ready to say so, I was ready to tell you that a certain man in my state, a Mr. James Taylor, wanted to put through this dam for his own profit. A man who controls a political machine! And controls everything else worth controlling in my state. Yes, and a man even powerful enough to control Congressmen – and I saw three of them in his room the day I went up to see him!

Senator Joseph Paine: Will the Senator yield?

Jefferson Smith: No, sir, I will not yield! And this same man, Mr. James Taylor, came down here and offered me a seat in this Senate for the next 20 years if I voted for a dam that he knew, and I knew, was a fraud. But if I dared to open my mouth against that dam, he promised to break me in two.

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(17:59:56) :

Proud, it was my consolation for the Palin’s having named me Puck Mule.😉

16092008

JenaGG(18:00:43) :

I don’t want to underestimate the McCain/Palin ticket … but … er … I was traveling last week and I drove past a “known-to-be” redneck community and I actually saw many Obama yard signs. One house had an Obama sign in he yard and a confederate flag on the house. I didn’t see any … not ONE … single McCain sign. In fact … oddly enough … I haven’t seen any McCain signs in my suburban community.

So … maybe this is a good sign. However, we shouldn’t under estimate the RepubliThugs on McCains campaign. They’re not above stealing an election.

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(18:00:48) :

I cya jeep pike

16092008

Small Town Girl(18:01:08) :

Hey Fired Up and other Bay Area posters: Mudflats has my email. I had to give it to post here. I don’t want to post it publicly for fear of harassment. Is there some way we can communicate without giving info to the world? I think a day of women in protest to Palin and in support of Obama is a really good idea. Maybe NOW or NARAL would be interested. Thanks to the Alaskan women for giving the idea.

One of the features of the new & improved Mudflats will be a forum dedicated to just such things, so organizing becomes possible. AKM

16092008

LJP aka Revolver Trooper(18:02:01) :

About African American votes. The NAACP called a couple of weeks ago for donations for getting out the vote. I sent a few $$ because that is the sort of thing that might make a difference in PA. (I had no idea that my husband, Western PA white guy that he is) donates to the NAACP; the things you find out in an election year.)

So if you are looking to help, volunteer to drive people to the polls on election day.

16092008

DownInMississippi aka Jeep Pike(18:02:07) :

NEWS FLASH:

McCain is now taking credit for developing the blackberry!!!

Seriously! Go to cnn.com homepage and it is listed under the latest news column–I tried to link and can’t get it to work.

[[This is simply horrific and I cannot imagine any woman in her right mind not wanting to support this program. This has to get out to all woman organizations – how can I help?]]

Proud2b, I would suggest getting it out to the media first. Women’s organizations are usually under suspicion by GOP voters, and many women are too busy with life and kids to belong to groups.

The thing about the WIC cutting is that it wasn’t even all that much. It would not have made a bit of difference, in the large scheme of the Alaska budget, but she didn’t just reduce it…SHE CUT IT FROM THE BUDGET.

This sends a big signal to me. “Sarah Palin’s got hers, who cares about you.”

She got all of that pork funding–which you and I are paying for–yet she could get pork funding for social programs such as WIC?

Of course, KO and Rachel Maddow will be the first to take the risk and stick their chins out, so that the rest of the MSM lemmings can meekly follow behind once the risk is less.

16092008

JoeAlvord(18:03:20) :

For everyone in the Anchorage and Mat-Su Valley. There is a rally in Wasilla between 4 and 6 on Friday afternoon. I am going. You come too. A good sign might be “STOP THE COVERUP” or “END THE STONEWALLING”. I will be leaving from Eagle River around 3:00 or so. If you need a ride call me at the Obama headquarters (Anchorage) tomorrow after 9:30. I have room for 7 in my suburban. Ask for Joe, the big bald guy. We should all be outraged.

16092008

Ohio Sue(18:03:58) :

BTW only Ohio voter and New Mexico voters are being treated to the bornalivetruth.org ad.

16092008

Political Amazon(18:04:47) :

Good night, Mudflattians. I do love this blog. It’s like the first time I heard AAR locally–it was like that ET feeling…”Hommme.”

16092008

SMR(18:06:31) :

Going to need the real studded tires AND a shovel here in Alaska!

And where the hell is our governor while residents of Adak are without fuel options and being asked to leave?????? See this article at ADN (I hate that paper, but what can you do, nobody else has picked it up yet):

Hey, Queen of De Nial: Get your ass back to your state and deal with this!

16092008

Let'sGetReal(18:07:19) :

Diva,

The Obama campaign are aware of the stats, and are making efforts to try and get folks involved to get African Americans registered.

I will start making phone calls, and do what I can.

16092008

proud2busa(18:08:36) :

Just a thought for Mr. McCain when he says the workers are the fundamentals of the economy:

The worker of the world has nothing to lose, but their chains, workers of the world unite. (Karl Marx)

and BTW, he may want to help articulate the discrepency between the cheaper off-shore labor (I’m thinking India here, but it could be any country) and the shareholder returns. It’s a vicious circle, and if he’s been head of the Commerce Committee, I’m sure he’s heard about this little argument that makes the rounds.

Howdie, neighbor! I found your blog via Is America Burning . I’m from B.C. and yes, I’ve been “Hyder-ised” many moons ago.:)

You go girl! I’m so glad that there are folks up there who have about the same level of respect and admiration for Palin as most of us directly south of you do.

16092008

SMR(18:09:55) :

Alaskans are going to need the studded tires AND a shovel. What a mess!

And while the Queen of De Nial is swanning around getting some street cred residents of Adak ALASKA are being told to leave their town because they cannot fuel the city generator! What, we can spend $800,000.00 in 3 months to pay Sarah’s friends to run a dairy that’s a losing proposition, but we can’t help the 900 residents of Adak? Check out this link at ADN (I hate that paper, but they’re the only ones picking up on this so far — wouldn’t it be nice if Ms. Palin were asked about it by a reporter and didn’t know about it because she’s been so busy getting some street cred?):

Thanks, Political Amazon – I will work on this tomorrow. I’m off to bed this evening. I’ve made promises to pry myself away from the laptop and this blog before hubby does.

Where is Harley tonight?

16092008

Jane(18:13:34) :

Can’t wait to read Maureen Dowd tomorrow…and may I say, she has nothing on you Mudflats! Excellent writing!

16092008

DownInMississippi aka Jeep Pike(18:14:10) :

Actually bone-head staffer is giving McCain credit for the blackberry.

Read it quickly. trying to do my homework tonight of preparing chain emails to about 300 friends–a series I like to call, “But I’d like to get to know you, yes, I would”–and if the reader doesn’t forward the email to 300 of their friends, something really bad will happen to them (and us). I’m devoting a different topic for each email. Tonight’s version, the first, is dedicated to the polar bear. Friends will get links and videos. The final installment will be a Mudflats
love-fest complete with rally info.

16092008

karen(18:14:46) :

Okay Alaskans, you know who they are:
Representatives Wes Keller, Mike Kelly, and Bob Lynn, and Senators Fred Dyson and Tom Wagoner. These Republicans (also known as ‘future ambassadors to obscure nations’ or God forbid something more important) have shown their cards, and made their stand. They have let us know who they are.
So start calling their offices, start sending them emails, protest their offices, let them know you’re not buying this crap, let these five elected officials of yours know McCain isn’t running Alaska!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do I have to get on a plane and come up there & get this going??? I’m 63 with heart disease & had a stroke a few days ago, but I have 3 children & two grandchildren & I want my country back for them. But if you need me, by gosh, I can be there for you.

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(18:14:56) :

If you’re planning on helping register voters in Florida, please note that the Florida DMV website says that a ‘non-driver’s ID’ …….. >b>will be sent by mail and should arrive in no more than 8 weeks.

[…] Mudflats latest post is a storm warning! A legal blizzard is hitting Alaska. Suddenly five Republicans on the Legislative Council, consisting of eight Republicans and four Democrats, are bringing suit against the other members and the Council itself to delay the investigation until after the November 4th election, plus they are suing to remove two of the Democrats. This is the investigation of Palin’s dismissal of the Public Safety Commissioner, Walt Monegan. Originally, the Council had voted unanimously to perform the investigation. Here’s what Mudflats says about Walt Monegan: Walt Monegan was, in a word, beloved. He was beloved by the troopers he lead, the people he served, and basically anyone who had the privilege of working with him. He cared about people, the important issues, and he was the real deal. There are many Alaskans today thinking, “Who do these people think they are to come here, and tear down the likes of Walt Monegan?” You have to remember, the rest of the country is “outside”. We are “inside”. That feeling defines Alaskans. We don’t like the government coming in here and telling us how to run things, dammit. And we don’t like outsiders ripping apart respected public servants in our town. […]

If Sister Sarah has nothing to hide, why is she making it look like she does?

All she had to do back in August was just admit to the impropriety, yeah, she did fire Monegan because he wouldn’t fire Wooten, because, as we all know, she DOES have the power to fire at will. She could have turned on the tears, blah blah blah…but now she’s turned it into a full blown firestorm, and smearing poor Monegan in the process.

16092008

paula(18:18:52) :

Listening to Heart’s ‘Little Queen’ cd on the way to work this morning. I couldn’t stand to listen to ‘Barracuda’, but I thought ‘Little Queen’ fits her better anyway:
You’d rather have wine than gin
Only the finest by your skin
Always running after Time – catching
You’re fancy with rhyme
Shining on the front page again

Mudflatters! This is a critical call to arms. I just read a post on Daily Kos about the situation in Houston. Things are very bad there and we are not getting the story on the media. Of course the economic story is huge, but there have been stories that media outlets have not been permitted in areas to report what is going on. I am going to copy part of the dailykos post here, which is something I don’t normally do. But can we start storming the mainstream TV news to ask where the coverage is? This is a huge story, if it is true. And it is interesting to ask why we aren’t hearing about it. Here is the post:

“or those of you who know Houston, my parents live just off of I-45 right next to the woodlands. Even though that is not on the coast (it’s on the Northwest side of Houston) it was in the direct path of Ike and they were hit pretty bad.

Luckily no one was hurt and though. They had about 20-25 trees down but none hit the house and all are safe.

Now on to the aftermath…

– First, there is no water. None whatsover. Nothing comes out of the tap and they are told that if something does come out it is not drinkable.
– No electricity, and they are told there won’t be any for 2-4 weeks or more! (Again, having lived through several hurricanes I can tell you that this his unheard of.) Normally we were out of power for 2-4 DAYS, NOT WEEKS.
– No gas. My brother waited in line for 5 hours! today to get some gas. And that is with the 5 gallon limit that they allow you to get. While in line at one of the 2 gas stations open nearby, there were 3 fist-fights. The other one had to be patrolled by police to break up fights and stop people from cutting in line.
PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO LOSE IT.

– No food. There is only one grocery store open nearby (if you can get to it) and the lines stretches for blocks. My dad says it is so jam-packed that there are hundreds of people waiting to check out. And they are so full that they can only let someone in as someone else goes out- 2 people out, 2 people in (like they do in a nightclub if they are over capacity). ”

Just n case no one has already posted,
here is the Full Obama Speech from today in Golden Colorado

My MSNBC channel and few others have pooped out, cable dude coming in AM to fix it for me, until then, I need some zzzz’s

Have fun till tomorrow mudflatians

16092008

NY911Witness(18:27:30) :

I really want to see Tina Fey pick up on this…

“Hold me accountable..yup yup….”

Lieberman whispers in her ear “pspsppspspssssst”

“Ooooh ,that’s what accountable means…:

Smiles and poses, and ducks behind a secret serviceman.

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(18:29:11) :

Just for grins and giggles I would like to give you the man who got $50,000 worth of jewelry stolen at the Republican Convention. As it so happens, this douchebag hails from my fine state of Colorado. AARRGGHHHHHHH

So she cut the WIC program out completely? Was the Alaskan congress able to put WIC back in the budget? I know there was an article on HuffPo that mentioned the Alaskan legislators were able to get most of the cuts back into the budget…However—Just by vitrue of the fact she cut WIC she’s telling lower income familes just what she thinks of them..I’d love for those moms who are so convinced Palin is one of “them” to see how see how she treats moms and kiddos in need.

i haven’t had time to post in weeks though i have read the blog and posts every day. go! go! go MMFs (mighty mud flats)! this shite is getting ridiculous. and like you, i am lucky if i don’t kick a hole through my television by november.

btw – feels like like the tide will turn very soon. too bad we have had to witness such destruction in our economy for it. did you think you’d ever see the day McCain called for regulation? what a pile of crap!!

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(18:32:02) :

@LJP–I read this horrific story on another blog as well. I just am in a state of disbelief after all this which has happened in the past 2 weeks. I just sit here and shake my head. I wish I could help monetarily but I have given everything I could to Obama. I will just keep all these folks in my prayers.

Slap Spear Palin

16092008

Pacificnwgal(18:32:39) :

Good article in the Huffington Post tonight about this issue also suports your article tonight. I especially like the fact that Liberty Legal Institute, an advocacy group out of Texas is now handling this case for Palin free of charge in order to “take the politics out of it and bring fairness back to it.” Although this began before she became VP nominee for the Republicans and is most likely an personnel issue, now it is apparently all the Democrats fault somehow. Amazing.

Good article in the Huffington Post tonight about this issue also supports your article tonight. I especially like the fact that Liberty Legal Institute, an advocacy group out of Texas is now handling this case for Palin free of charge in order to “take the politics out of it and bring fairness back to it.” Although this began before she became VP nominee for the Republicans and is most likely an personnel issue, now it is apparently all the Democrats fault somehow. Amazing.

By the way, I got it at alternet. org — the rally made it to their site!!!!!! Better late than never! Now I am just crossing my fingers that I will see protests staged in NYC at the icky gal’s UN photo-op.

16092008

VP, Flat Earth Society(18:34:53) :

Well, I’m sorry, but I find this so outrageous that I am going to say what I’ve thought for a long time about this man-in-drag and her ‘first dud” – they are, quite simply, trash. If a large percentage of the American people consider this typical Christian behaviour, then they must be following Adolph Christ, for nothing they represent is in any way reflective of the teachings of the Lord. Disgusting and shameful sub-humans.

16092008

FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin(18:35:27) :

SmallTownGirl

I don’t know if AKM can put us in touch w/o putting our personal e-mails on the blog- but if so, can you please do so??? If not, please let me know and I will figure something else out.

Ok, so I was off to my own little blog putting up a quickie post on my thoughts concerning the situation in Pakistan with the intention of following it up with an in-depth post on…. yep, this very thing. I already had most of the post done in my head, but I’m all the way across the country from Alaska and figured it would be a good idea to come back here and ask AKM if she knew anything about the present situation with Palin and Troopergate after she refused to co-operate with the investigation and the Repubs put pressure on to delay the investigation and get rid of the Democrats (now that was a dandy bi-partisan idea).
And here it is, AKM read my mind before I even knew I had one. Thank you so much, however, now I’m not so sure I want to do the post. AKM is so thorough in her posts that there is really nothing more I can say on the subject, other than to express my disgust with her tactics. So instead, I think I’ll just go back to both of my sites and link my readers here to get the story from someone who is in the middle of things as they happen in Alaska.
AKM, YOU ROCK!! AND YOU JUST KEEP ON ROCKIN’
Chock up another nomination for best political blog!

16092008

Let'sGetReal(18:36:45) :

gal, he got what he deserved. Just meeting someone, and let them in your room! Good Grief! Anyway, laughing at his dumb azz!

16092008

sauerkraut(18:40:59) :

You alls do know why they are trying to put a halt to this ethics investigation, don’t you?

They are afraid the true depth of the corruption within the Alaskan political community will be fully exposed. These same people who’ve been feeding off taxpayer dollars for so long without the requirement for accountability, are now afraid of being exposed for what they truly are to the entire country. I don’t think they’ve cared about how Alaskans view them, but they know that if the entire country looks in and sees how corrupt the system really is that the gravy train of lower 48 taxpayer money to bribe Alaskans for their vote will finally come to an end.

Pretty hard to pay the mortgage on an overpriced $500,000 house when the cash flow has been put to an end, isn’t it?

16092008

Joe and Heather Linwood nj(18:41:35) :

Polls Polls
Can someone tell me if they have been polled? I don’t know one person in my cirlce of friends or co-workers who has been polled?
I do believe Race is playing a part sad but true.
My wife and I are so energized because of this blog.
I had to turn the television off. Besides Keith O. , Rachel, Jon Stewart, Cobert, Bill Maher(We don’t agree with the religion part ) The rest is garbage and lies.
Lets get a plan started. What can we do? My wife and I are ready. Can someone Post numbers, emails places to call? We just made our third donation to the Obama campaign (First Time donating to a Politician)
Where do we begin. I am ready to fight.
Florida Florida Florida…….thats a tough one.

For those of you going to the Wasilla rally, how about having signs that say simply.. “Thou Shalt Not Lie”

16092008

Deb(18:43:09) :

Having just seen the latest Palin ratings (dropping a net of 10 points since Saturday, I have to believe that some of that drop is because of mudflats and the brave women (and men) in Alaska who attended the rally. A picture IS worth a thousand words, and the videos and pictures of all those beautiful faces and their SIGNS was very moving. I think it shows the nation that not ALL who oppose Sarah are just like THEM. It gives a FACE to the opposition, which in some way weakens her appeal. Keep up the good work Alaskans who care, and THANK YOU!!

16092008

sauerkraut(18:44:18) :

Erin? Your very first troll!! Alright!! Way to go!

16092008

Deb(18:44:23) :

oops…sorry..meant to type not ALL who oppose her are weirdo, angry, lesbian, “maggots”…but more like THEM

Let me confirm for everyone from outside of Alaska that Walt Monegan is a wonderful person. He exudes humanism. He truly cares for people – all people. I can’t say enough positive things about him. I have nothing negative to say. Nothing.

He is a man of his word. He has real character. He has integrity. HE IS DECENT. He has integrity! He’s a consensus builder. He has great leadership skills. HE IS HUMBLE. He is awesome. He has a smile that lights up an entire room – he connects with everyone.

Many Alaskans are very proud of him for putting himself out there like this. The easy thing would have been just to fade away, but he didn’t – he took a stand and continues to make himself available to the MSM and anyone else who wants to hear the truth.

McCain/Palin must be frightened indeed by what is going to come out. Why else spend so much energy fighting it?

If Chief Monegan were a rogue and insubordinate, why was he offered a demotion when Psycho Sarah had her lackey fire him? Does anyone offer someone just fired because of insubordination another job? I need a shovel…where are my waders?

16092008

Joe and Heather Linwood nj(18:46:37) :

How can you cut WIC out?????That is program for women and children. My goodness. What is wrong with People? We were watching in horror the Lou Dobbs show, someone on his panel said the reason for the housing meltdown was Bill Clintons fault. Bill supported Freddie and Fannie so that low Income families could get into a home. ARE YOU KIDDING ME….Forget the wall street crime of GREED, blame the low income families.
Oh…I truly believe in my heart Obama is the first True christian we have seen in a long long time.
Going back to WIC….That is disgraceful…Shame on Palin for many many things.

16092008

anghiari(18:47:00) :

It boggles the mind what the GOP will do to win…Source: Huffpost/Today

“The Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee have filed a lawsuit in federal court in Michigan over the Michigan GOP’s plan to use foreclosure lists to challenge voters at the polls, as first reported by the Michigan Messenger.

Bob Bauer, general counsel for the Obama campaign, and Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, announced the lawsuit in a conference call with reporters this afternoon. It was filed on behalf of the campaign, the party and three Michigan residents who have had their houses foreclosed upon in recent months.

Bauer called the GOP plan to use foreclosure lists “a new and especially repellent version of caging.” Caging is a technique of challenging voters where they take lists of addresses, mail to them with a “do not forward” marking and if for whatever reason those mailings are returned, they use this as a basis for claiming that the voter no longer lives at the address at which they are registered.”

16092008

Deb(18:47:01) :

shout out to gal! did you hear Obama’s speeches here in our great state?? I think we’re going BLUE!!!

LJP, you are in west PA,,, I’m in NE PA, perhaps we should start a drive toward each other kinda town to town and fill up the gap in between and get EVERYONE to the polls. I’ve already managed to convert a few die hard conservatives with pictures of dead wolves and wounded soldiers, I don’t think we are a swing state, people around here are really starting to hate the McCain Palin team.
whenever I go into public I make it a point to wear one of my favorite t-shirts, it’s illegal in 13 states and there is a bill in legistation to make the shirts a federal crime (yes, an actual federal crime to own a t-shirt) because it has the names of 4.058 American soldiers killed in Iraq between 2003 and 2008. The shirt also says (in big red letters) “BUSH LIED,, THEY DIED”

16092008

Juneauite(18:48:05) :

I just saw this article that I find so ridiculous I thought I’d share.

In a war of words reminiscent of Vice President Dan Quayle taking on television character Murphy Brown in the 1992 presidential election, John McCain’s camp is slamming Tina Fey’s impersonation of Governor Sarah Palin on “Saturday Night Live,” while Cindy McCain is calling out the ladies of “The View.”

“SNL” had its highest rated season premiere since 2002, but some members of the McCain campaign were not laughing.

“The portrait was very dismissive of the substance of Sarah Palin, and so in that sense, they were defining Hillary Clinton as very substantive, and Sarah Palin as totally superficial,” McCain advisor Carly Fiorina told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Monday. “I think that continues the line of argument that is disrespectful in the extreme, and yes I would say sexist.”

The Fey/Poehler sketch satirized such topics as Palin’s religious beliefs and foreign policy.

“Just because Sarah Palin has different views than Hillary Clinton does not mean that she lacks substance. She has a lot of substance,” Fiorina said.

Palin, on the other hand, found the sketch amusing, according to her spokesperson. The governor and the press corps watched the sketch in the back of her plane, laughing at Tina and Amy’s satirical take on the two politicians.

“She thought it was quite funny, particularly because she once dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween,” Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt told CBS.

And the lashings from the McCain camp didn’t just stop with Tina Fey — Cindy McCain also called out the ladies of “The View” after their appearance on the daytime talk show last week.

“In spite of what you see in the newspapers, and on shows like ‘The View’ — I don’t know if any of you saw ‘The View’ yesterday, they picked our bones clean — in spite of what you see, that’s not what the American people are saying and what they are believing,” Cindy McCain said at the 119th annual Oakland County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner, Saturday night in Michigan, according to ABC News’ Arnab Datta.

Cindy McCain might have left “The View” feeling attacked, but the daytime gabbers have a fan in former co-host Rosie O’Donnell, who thought Barbara Walters’ handling of the McCains was superb.

I would like the McPain camp to please provide us with their definition of sexist because from the way they use the word it seems that in their dictionary sexist = anything anybody says about Palin that is negative. I mean if this is what the meaning of sexist nowadays then should we update all the dictionaries in the world?

I guess next time I don’t get a job in the State of AK I will definitely file a complaint and say that the State is being “sexist”, then maybe I will be awarded several hundreds of thousands of dollars that I can donate to the Obama campaign🙂

16092008

Deb(18:48:59) :

suggestion for a sign for anyone who is going up to the rally in Wasilla “Sarah, where’s your “transparency?”

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(18:49:08) :

@ Deb…are you the one from Colorado??? If so there is a blog up now called Colorado Women Against Palin: http://coloradowomenagainstpalin.blogspot.com/. Anyways, read somewhere recently..now i don’t know where…that Palin is coming back through CO and they will be organizing another rally. Just wanted to give you a heads up.

Everybody needs to breathe. All of the polls mean shit–people lie to pollsters. All of McRovacaine’s machinations are obvious as a bornagaindominionist govenwhore at the Wasilla Assemblies of Godbesottedness.

Self identified democrats who will vote for McPalincain are as likely to be Rovebots as not.

Breathe, drink a latte or brewski. Think good thoughts about how you will vote and what you can do to get others to vote. Don’t worry about shit you can’t control. Would somebody roll me a fatty?

16092008

Rubo(18:52:34) :

Alaska AG: Troopergate witnesses won’t testify

By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Writer 20 minutes ago

JUNEAU, Alaska – Alaska’s attorney general says state employees subpoenaed in the investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin will not testify.

@ Deb–I did, I watched his speech! I hope we are blue on November 4th. Anyway, wanted to tell you there is a Colorado Women Against Palin blog. I tried to put in the http but I went off into ether blogosphere. Just read somewhere that they will be organizing another rally cuz She Who Will Not Be Named is coming back to Colorado. If you go to there sight there are photos posted from the Jefferson Country Fairgrounds rally. I think there were about 130. Not bad for 48 hours of organizing.

Erin,, I got my first troll some time ago, I decided the best way to deal with trolls was to warn them, give them a chance to be sensible (disagree if they like, but disagree sensibly) then ban their IP address if they intend to keep trolling. When sites like this have intelligent people thinking and posting thoughts on the issues there is no room for senseless bull**** from trolls, kick them to the curb and leave them there.

16092008

Rhett O'Rical(18:53:21) :

Joe and Heather Linwood nj: hello! i have been polled TWICE about a local campaign proposition re energy. however, none about the national election. i am registered here and they email me a lot of polls:

Joe and Heather, you can go on Obama/Biden website and signup to make calls, and contribute many ways in the campaign.

I’ve never been polled either, nor any member in my family or my boyfriend’s family, and we have quite a large family, and I mean large. Age ranging from 62 – 39. This is just the siblings age ranges (18), we don’t want to count nieces and nephews, who are in the 30 age group. No one has been polled!

I don’t know where they get their phone numbers from, but just about all of us have land lines, so that’s not it.

16092008

Deb(18:55:40) :

thanks gal…I’ll look up the sight. Need to have a saturday rally for us working women!

16092008

lookingglass(18:56:43) :

Did anyone just get the same feeling I did? It’s like I stepped in a steaming pile of doggie doo. I even made the “Ewww” face.

Does she think she’ll get away with this? This is out and out laughable.

16092008

Deb(18:58:25) :

site not sight* damn…and I take such pride in my spelling! must be getting late

@ Joe And Heather- I was polled last week by Gallup. Had an interesting 20 minute question and answer with the nice chap. I live in Colorado..a swing state. As I stated in many posts past one of the funniest questions asked of me was: Did I eat all my veggies and fruits the day before? I’m sure it is relevant in some way. But, still had me laughing.

AKA
Slap Spear Palin

16092008

bPoint(19:00:28) :

As I said last night, Troopergate might not bring Sarah down, but I will bet the house, the Palin tax returns will…..Let us see the Palins tax returns….If the Clintons couldn’t circumvent the call for tax returns, you can bet the Palins can’t either.

16092008

VP, Flat Earth Society(19:01:22) :

“The portrait was very dismissive of the substance of Sarah Palin, and so in that sense, they were defining Hillary Clinton as very substantive, and Sarah Palin as totally superficial,” McCain advisor Carly Fiorina told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Monday.

_________________________

Well, Miz Fiorina, that is correct. That is what it accurately and honestly portayed. “You want the truth?? You can’t handle the truth!”

16092008

Blue Idaho aka Bash Budweiser Palin(19:01:43) :

You got to love a campanign that asks for feedback! Obama sent out e-mails to supporters asking for feedback.

I could be just grasping at straws but from what I read the Atty General (Colberg) is the next in line in case Palin wins as VP.

Palin, gov of AK is running for VP if she wins then the Lt. Gov Parnell will be Gov but Parnell is running for a seat in the Congress and from the last I read it is still a close call so if Parnell wins the seat in the Congress and Palin becomes VP then guess who will be in charge of AK?

Blue Idaho, I just got that same email myself. And I am definately going to fill it out and return it. I agree, no one can be more in touch with their supporters than a candidate who actually asks his supporters how they feel.

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(19:10:45) :

@Cartoon Pig Dog (18:47:41) :

If the prospective military draft (necessary to carry out McCain and Barbie’s vision for world peace) is an issue in PA —- please remind folks you talk to that in these equal-opportunity times their daughters will be drafted, too!

16092008

Blue Idaho aka Bash Budweiser Palin(19:11:38) :

Cartoon Pig Dog- I said I would travel to a swing state. Does anyone know somone who is doing this.

This is just one of the stories out there now that have hit America (and the world) hard regarding this issue. As I read story after story on this latest news , I hear teeth grinding along with mine.

Anyone got some de-icer or a huge kick @ss snow plow to get the Palin stalled traffic moving again?

On the funny side of “studded tires” or chains, ice and snow… just email your boss, State Rep, Senator etc and tell them you are not putting up with this Palin traffic halt cr@p and will not be coming in until the situation is under control!

so state employees subpoenaed won’t testify….now HOW on earth does Palin claim platform “accountability” if we don’t have to respond to subpoenas? Sounds just like those “good ole boys” in the White House???

16092008

Cynthia, TX(19:14:12) :

BigSlick (19:06:00) :

START A PETITION TO IMPEACH PALIN PLEASE

I would agree start the process now especially if you can find something that will stick to her. Go get her Alaskans!!!

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska’s attorney general says state employees subpoenaed in the investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin will not testify.

In a letter to the Democratic state senator overseeing the investigation, Attorney General Talis Colberg asks that the subpoenas be withdrawn. He also says the employees will not appear before the investigator unless either the full state Senate or the entire Alaska Legislature votes to compel their testimony.

Last week, a committee of lawmakers issued subpoenas for 13 people, including Todd Palin, the governor’s husband, in the investigation of whether the governor fired her public safety chief for refusing to dismiss her former brother-in-law, an Alaska State Trooper.

All those summoned are state employees, except Todd Palin. “

16092008

galwhohashadenough!(19:17:50) :

I leave you all with my last post of the night. Keith and Rachel conversing about McCain inventing the Blackberry. I can’t believe I just had to type that. But, this is what this campaign is all about..just a HUGE pile of crap!

Take care all you great wonderful mudpuppies! Again to AK all the kudos goes to you for being a valiant warrior for truth!

LJP- So are they trying to hide their incompetence once again or are they stonewalling the help so that thousands of good folk won’t have time to go to the polls.

16092008

squee(19:19:42) :

I would like the McPain camp to please provide us with their definition of sexist because from the way they use the word it seems that in their dictionary sexist = anything anybody says about Palin that is negative. I mean if this is what the meaning of sexist nowadays then should we update all the dictionaries in the world

Does anyone else start channeling “the Princess Bride” when they hear these cries of sexism? [I do not think that means what you think it means…]

Just me? Alrighty then.

As for the subpeonas, the AG is asking they not issue them for the state employees but that still leaves the First Dude available, doesn’t it? I say they start with him, and all those emails, and go from there!

I could be just grasping at straws but from what I read the Atty General (Colberg) is the next in line in case Palin wins as VP.

Palin, gov of AK is running for VP if she wins then the Lt. Gov Parnell will be Gov but Parnell is running for a seat in the Congress and from the last I read it is still a close call so if Parnell wins the seat in the Congress and Palin becomes VP then guess who will be in charge of AK?

Alaska’s investigation into whether Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power, a potentially damaging distraction for John McCain’s presidential campaign, ran into intensified resistance Tuesday when the attorney general said state employees would refuse to honor subpoenas in the case.

In a letter to state Sen. Hollis French, the Democrat overseeing the investigation, Republican Attorney General Talis Colberg asked that the subpoenas be withdrawn. He also said the employees would refuse to appear unless either the full state Senate or the entire Legislature votes to compel their testimony.

Colberg, who was appointed by Palin, said the employees are caught between their respect for the Legislature and their loyalty to the governor, who initially agreed to cooperate with the inquiry but has increasingly opposed it since McCain chose her as his running mate.

“This is an untenable position for our clients because the governor has so strongly stated that the subpoenas issued by your committee are of questionable validity,” Colberg wrote.

Last week, French’s Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed 13 people. They include 10 employees of Palin’s administration and three who are not: her husband, Todd Palin; John Bitney, Palin’s former legislative liaison who now is chief of staff for Republican House Speaker John Harris; and Murlene Wilkes, a state contractor.

French did not immediately return a telephone call Tuesday for comment.

Earlier in the day, Harris, who two months ago supported the “Troopergate” investigation, openly questioned its impartiality and raised the possibility of delaying the findings.

Like Colberg’s letter, the surprise maneuver by Harris reflected deepening resolve by Republicans to spare Palin embarrassment or worse in the final weeks of the presidential campaign.

And it marked a further fraying of a bipartisan consensus, formed by a unanimous panel before Palin became McCain’s running mate, that her firing of the state’s public safety commissioner justified the ethical investigation.

In a letter, Harris wrote that what “started as a bipartisan and impartial effort is becoming overshadowed by public comments from individuals at both ends of the political spectrum,” and he urged lawmakers to meet quickly to decide on a course.

“What I may be in favor of is having the report delayed, but only if it becomes a blatant partisan issue,” he told The Associated Press, while indicating he already believes it has become politically tainted.

Democratic state Sen. Kim Elton, chairman of the Legislative Council, the 14-member panel that authorized the probe, had no immediate comment on Harris’ request. Under an unusual power-sharing agreement, the council is made up of 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats.

At issue is whether Palin abused her power by pressing the commissioner to remove her former brother-in-law as an Alaska state trooper, then firing the commissioner when he didn’t.

The matter risks casting a shadow on Palin’s reputation, central to her appeal in the campaign, that she is a clean-government advocate who takes on entrenched interests _ not a governor who tried to use her authority behind the scenes to settle a personal score.

Palin has defended her behavior and said she welcomed the investigation. “Hold me accountable,” she said. But she and the McCain campaign have taken actions that could slow the probe, possibly past Election Day.

Also Tuesday, five Republican state lawmakers filed a lawsuit against an investigation they called “unlawful, biased, partial and partisan.” None serves on the bipartisan Legislative Council that unanimously approved the inquiry. They want it pushed past the election or top Democrats removed from the probe.

Making clear the dispute has ramifications beyond Alaska, Liberty Legal Institute, a Texas-based legal advocacy group, was working on the lawsuit. The institute has taken on a variety of cases in defense of conservative Christian positions.

Elton called the lawsuit “a distraction.”

“The silver lining in this action initiated by the five lawmakers is that some of that debate now has been kicked to the judicial branch which, unlike the Legislature and the governor’s office, is more insulated from the red-hot passion of presidential politics,” he said.

Palin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan in July.

Weeks later, it emerged that Palin, her husband, Todd, and several high-level staffers had contacted Monegan about state trooper Mike Wooten, who had gone through a nasty divorce from Palin’s sister before Palin became governor. While Monegan says no one from the administration ever told him directly to fire Wooten, he says their repeated contacts made it clear they wanted Wooten gone.

Palin maintains she fired Monegan over budget disagreements, not because he wouldn’t dismiss her ex-brother-in-law. She has sought through her lawyer to have the matter investigated in a more favorable forum, the state personnel board.”

From TownHall.com

Now I’m even more confused. It seems like Colberg is ASKING the Legislature to withdraw the subpoenas–but does ASKING mean it’s legal?

Just think – Todd will be a heart beat away from being America’s First “Hunky Guy” Hostess. It warms the heart.

16092008

Amused and Bewildered(19:24:03) :

Really, so what the heck happens now and most importantly, how on earth can not everyone see that there’s something wrong here?? Even her staunch supporters who think she can do no wrong should be able to see that she’s not so “transparent” as those of us here think the platform she’s running on is. I get it, but I don’t. It seems so impossible that people could be so incredibly blinded! If this was Obama, you know what would be happening.

I really feel sorry for Monegan — very unfortunate that in order to protest her innoncence she has to disgrace someone who doesn’t deserve it. I blame her for only part of this; she is nothing more than a puppet. But puppet doesn’t care as long as she gets to play in the oval office. Now that’s compassion.

16092008

ds55(19:25:14) :

Which job is the bigger political plum? Governor of Alaska, or Congressman from Alaska? Maybe Lt. Gov. Parnell will just stay put.

I love that it is her new attorney that said Monegan was “rogue” and “insubordinate.” Why didn’t that come way back when? I feel like some of the other posters. When I read this crap my head feels like it is going to explode. Also, can someone please tell me how it is that the McCain camp can step in and take over something that Palin put in play? Please clear that up for me!!!!

How gross! In the event that Queen Palin does not ascend to the throne of our nation, I look forward to the good people of Alaska handing her ass to her in the next election and sending her scurrying back to Wasilla. I won’t say more because it might get me in trouble.

16092008

Believer(19:27:41) :

If you ONLY follow the MSM, it is so easy to get discouraged, frustrated, and to give in to the fear… it is difficult to muddle through the daily spin and sound bites that distort the truth about Obama, or that withhold critical pieces to the whole story (I know, I’m preachin’ to the choir here)…

Just saying, this blog keeps me going – thank you AKM for the clarity and straightforwardness in your writing (and for the comic relief!). Congratulations on the upcoming new digs…I’m not even a LITTLE surprised! And don’t forget that donation button – as one blogger put it earlier, this is “free therapy” and we’re happy to help pay for it! As I’ve said before, your blog helps me remember to breath in and to breath out while in the middle of this madness – and thank you to everyone on this site for your comments and for the ongoing sharing of such great information!

Check this out if you haven’t already – it will also help to bring you “calm”-
an article by Tim Fernholz, writer for the magazine The American Prospect, entitled, “Calm Down Democrats! Obama IS Fighting Back!” dated 9/11/08- an excellent read. Google it – sorry, not sure yet how to link you up.

16092008

Deb(19:29:48) :

ok…I promised myself I would go to bed early. Keep up the good work Alaskans……YES WE CAN!!

16092008

Theodore(19:31:13) :

Does Alaska allow for a re-call of Palin? Can she be remove from office?

You’ve proven that there was a larger group of citizens who turned out against Palin last week, compared to those who went to her rally, is there any initiative to do this?

I’m late in posting, but AKM, you are the best. Your work and the people here have truly changed my life. I’m engaged and working and writing better than ever. And I tell people about this place everyday. Thanks and congratulations on your transforming work! Stay safe and tell all those in AK we are with them always.

And I will most definitely be here after the election. This is only the beginning. Patience and steel, xo.

16092008

katiebegood(19:37:21) :

Palin had to say that she fired him for insubordination because that will mean that she didn’t fire him because he wouldn’t fire Wooten. The problem is, she gave an interview where she said that she had wanted him to take on another job to regulate alcohol and drinking in Alaska and when he didn’t want the job he left. Now, if he is insubordinate and disrespectful, what was she doing offering him another high level well paying job?

Sarah Palin is a pathological liar and people are starting to see it. I think, in the end, she is going to greatly regret what she did. Because when she returns to Alaska, she will be bringing the taint with her.

16092008

bering strait(19:39:18) :

Republican delegate gets rolled by a hooker in Minneapolis for $50,000. Best story of this campaign…

Ugh, Cindy…that video just made me think about how winter is coming…last winter we had something like 83 inches of snow. It was snow, ice, snow, ice, snow, ice, and even the most experienced and careful of winter drivers lost control at least once. Besides, the first snowfall always seems to make lifelong Wisconsinites drive like they’ve never seen snow before.

Sigh. Something else to worry about.

16092008

Gina(19:42:41) :

OMG – Did she REALLY cut funding for WIC? I relied on that program about 18 – 20 years ago when my daughter was young. I was embarrassed that I needed the help, but as I recall a blood test showing anemia was also used to demonstrate need, and poor nutrition was putting our health at risk. I don’t know what we would have done without the program. It was a short term arrangement, but so helpful, and it took away the worry that I wouldn’t be able to feed my daughter. Hope said it so eloquently in her post from a different thread when she talked about being pro life. The WIC program is pro life. We were not slackers looking for a handout – we were a young family in need. I’m glad I’m not a young, poor mother in Alaska.

16092008

Erin(19:42:51) :

Juneauite: I am also in a “mixed marriage.” Hang tough, sister. We’ll get the last laugh on this one, I’m sure!

16092008

Anonymous(19:42:55) :

I juut read the craziest story yet about Palin over at 2 Lesbos Goin At It and if it’s true – watch out because the woman is likely to do anything.

It says that Palin believes she won the governorship because a minister from Africa prayed over her. He’s also some kind of witch-hunter . . . I’m sure that there is a joke there somewhere. (Looking for witches . . . found Palin)

Someone just made an interesting comment on my blog, that I had not heard before. I’ll copy and paste the comment here. I’d love to hear reactions:

“What I didnt see on the list was anything about McCain and his connection to the Keating Five scandal. If you will recall it had to do with him and others shielding the perpetrators of the S&L debacle from investigations. Finally our noble Senate censured him. How is when we have the major investment banks going under no one is bringing up McCains record on these issues.

I am 62, married for 43 years, own my own business, served in the Navy, have one son and cant imagine anyone electing McCain or Palin.

My husband was a Naby Sealattached to VA 65 on board the USS Enterprise with John McCain during the VN War, and he says the man is a menace. That most people wouldnt fly with him if they could avoid it and he was nearly brought up on charges for the way he treated the enlisted men.

What gets me is this show he puts on with his wife. Cindy McCain is a bright accomplished woman. It is reported in a new book out, that at a social gathering the conversation turned to age. Everyone had something to say all teasing. Cindy made a comment teasing John about his bald spot. He turned and called her a “cunt” and that said that she was “painted like a trollop”.

At a recent town meeting a Baptist preacher stood and asked McCain point blank not using the euphemism, if it was true that he had said such a terrible thing to his wife and in public. McCain didnt answer instead the secret service guys pulled the preacher out of the room and McCain went on talking about how supports free speech. I had the link on you tube but when i went back it was pulled as so many clips regarding McCain and Palin are these days. ”

—

Comments?

16092008

ds55(19:47:46) :

Carly Fiorina will now “Disappear”.http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/16/fiorinas-comment-called-biden-like/
“Carly will now disappear,” this source said. “Senator McCain was furious.” Asked to define “disappear,” this source said, adding that she would be off TV for a while – but remain at the Republican National Committee and keep her role as head of the party’s joint fundraising committee with the McCain campaign.

Palin/McCain are saying the only people the People of Alaska should trust are the people Palin says can be trusted!

16092008

Rene'(19:51:35) :

How can one be smug about Palin and her true colors when Alaska will be under her governorship after the election (hopefully? unhopefully?) It will be verrrrry interrresting to see how she defends herself when she has to face a tribunal of the common folk here in her home state, not to mention her home town and family. There is so much one can keep secret, but eventually stuff comes out. It’s disheartening, to say the least, to not want her in the White House, but I no longer ‘do not care’ if she runs this state. Anything remarkable she has done to this point has just been overshadowed by the current state of affairs. Tsk-tsk-tsk; greed and vanity. She had it so good, too…….

16092008

whabs(19:52:02) :

Can I just lose it here for a minute? Why EVERY FREAKING TIME THEY COME OUT IT IS WITH THE FREAKING ABORTION CARD? Is that and “Fags” the only damn thing they have. Oh no wait! N+Obama is a Muslim and Terrorist lover
I swear to God I am going to start introducing myself to Republicans as Khaki Salmon Palon, raised by a subversive lesbian, who just HAPPENED have a miscarriage on the way to my abortion!
“Abortion, God, Fags, Abortion, God, Fags!”
I’m protesting when that heinous, male identified, pawn of a republican, spineless earmark taking, special ed cutting wench comes through town!
OK I am done throwing a mild, cuss free fucking fit.

16092008

Rabbler(19:53:10) :

It’s interesting to check in on Mudflats. McCain is surely a Gahan Wilson horror cartoon. And yes, I’m afraid that Sara will peel her mask off to reveal some freaky monster duo.

I’m unemployed and on the edge, but I credit carded $50 to Obama today. I’m hoping that the Barbra Streisand fundraiser tonight may also chip in a little.

16092008

DownInMississippi aka Jeep Pike(19:54:52) :

kvas (19:23) “Just think – Todd will be a heart beat away from being America’s First “Hunky Guy” Hostess. It warms the heart.”

Sorry, but from what I am hearing, Todd will become your VP and next in line to be Prez if McPain & Scara actually win. Kind of comforting, isn’t it? But, on a positive note, it’s going to really be great that those idiotic religious fanatics won’t have to look at a black man being President. And, believe me, coming from the deep, deep south, those people–the idiotic religious fanatics–are truly the more prejudiced people I encounter around here. I mean, yes, let’s have an uneducated roughneck up there in the White House–poo on having the editor of the Harvard Law Review.

It looks like Carly Fiorina has been fired by McCain. He’s livid that she said that neither Palin nor McCain were qualified to run a major corporation. That’s really a funny line coming from someone who almost ran HP into the ground and was fired for incompetence. Anyway, I won’t miss her. I’m sick and tired of her yelling “sexist” every 5 minutes.

McPalin buys a tanning bed for the Gov. mansion (yet she bills us for staying in Wasilla so she can spy on Russia), and now McCain invented the Blackberry! I suppose I owe McBarbie everytime I drink a BUD. PLease! What do we have to do to overturn Seward’s Folly… (the Alaska
Purchase for those not as old as me), immediately?

16092008

Let'sGetReal(20:02:12) :

Blue Idaho, when did this email come out? I haven’t received it.

16092008

bPoint(20:03:04) :

I’m sorry to hear that about your retirement.
Imagine getting $21 million dollars for driving a company into the ground, while those doing the heavy lifting get nothing.

Good bye Carly and stay away.

16092008

bPoint(20:03:24) :

The Carly story is just more bad McCain judgement

16092008

Mary Beth(20:04:01) :

Fresh off the internet! She will implode… she will implode… she will implode…

Go to the fridge, open it up, take out the Bud, crack the “beer”, DUMP IT DOWN THE DRAIN!!!!! Go to the store, purchase ANYTHING other than Bud.
Try a nice Micro Brew!

Khaki Salmon Palin
Seattle, WA.

16092008

arkangel3(20:09:51) :

@ds55
Great article! They made an excellent point of having the Dems say how honorable McCain is before they tear him to shreds and the Biden has gotten that message and is doing that now. John McCain has no honor left; he is a puppet of the Right.

It’s a repeat of the aftermath of Katrina and potentially worse. This story is buried in the news and the good people of Houston are in it deep. FEMA is incompetent; there is little food or water, and they will not have power for 2-4 WEEKS.

THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GODDAMN IT, AND WE NEED TO HELP OUR CITIZENS NOW! We can fight two wars and kill Human Beings but we refuse to save them in Houston. The primary purpose for the existence of Government is the protection of it’s people, and this Administration has legitimized itself BY DOING NOTHING to help Houston.

Please read that link, and pass it on your blogs. I’ll do the same on mine and I will for sure do a piece on it for today’s entry.

4-8 more YEARS of Republican control of this Nation will DECIMATE it, and potentially the World. WE THE PEOPLE can not allow this to happen. This Election is too important: write a blog, work for the campaign, donate…whatever you can do. These Neocons cannot be allowed control of our beloved country.

Please…EVERYBODY DO SOMETHING to help out Houston and get their message out and continue the cause to save our country in any way you can (non-violently, of course).

The contrast between what you’ve so ably revealed and what we’re getting in the national news is breathtaking. I just dropped a note to Anderson Cooper to have him check out your blog so CNN at least can begin to do some serious investigative reporting. Right now they’re just repeating back the accusations of the McCain camp without any serious challenge.

I, btw, have started a modest blog drawing together as much Sarah info as possible as well as adding my own two cents worth from time to time. Your blog figures prominently on it (always with due reverence and attribution).

Read just an hour ago that the Alaska state attorney general says that none of the people being subpoenaed will appear on the grounds of the unfairness of forcing them to chose between their loyalty to Palin personally and to the State of Alaska. Just like Bush.

It will start tomorrow. Obama has been avoiding the Keating 5 up until now. But with McSame saying today that he wants to regulate Wall Street (even though he has bragged that he’s a deregulation guy) opens up the subject of the Keating 5. McSame is trying to blame everyone but the Republicans and himself for the financial mess this country is in. If you look back at what he did in the Keating 5 scandal, trying to use his influence to keep congress from regulating the savings and loan industry, it certainly is applicable to what is happening today.

im going to apply for a passport..cause if that old fart and that dumb bitch get in..im history…

16092008

katiebegood(20:18:02) :

Jean in Seattle (20:14:30) :
Read just an hour ago that the Alaska state attorney general says that none of the people being subpoenaed will appear on the grounds of the unfairness of forcing them to chose between their loyalty to Palin personally and to the State of Alaska. Just like Bush.

I thought the government workers took their oaths to the state of Alaska, not to Sarah Palin. It brings to mind Monica Goodling saying during her testimony that she took an oath to President Bush.

But, even if the state employees refuse to testify, what will be their excuse for the First Dude. He’s kind of out there on a limb right now.

Oh how I would love to see the Alaska State Legislature send out an arrest warrant for the people who refuse to honor subpoenas. Someone needs to do something about reversing this trend. If these people get away with it, like our own government employees, then they will all be rendering subpoenas moot.

– I hope you are right! Maybe we should start posting about the Keating 5 everywhere, and emailing all the news shows. This might be just the story to push Obama ahead.

16092008

arkangel3(20:19:05) :

Enjay…Barack mentioned that in his speech today, but did not use the term “Keating 5”. That is McCain’s Achilles Heel, and they are waiting for the right time to connect his involvement with the S&L scandals of the 80’s with the current Economy. It’s the Ace in the Hole. McCain himself is ashamed of that part of his career.

They would rather have McCain dishonor himself (which he’s doing a pretty good job of) than the Dems dishonor him. But it’s there…waiting. I’ll bet you Biden will spring it as he knows McCain a long time.

a/k/a Sport Grunt Palin here, btw 😀

16092008

Tyler(20:19:15) :

Is it true that the radio moron Burke was suspended for releasing the anti-palin rally folks’ names and numbers?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Silver State Bank, which recently included Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s son on its board, was closed by regulators on Friday, becoming the 11th bank to fail this year, as the struggling economy and falling home prices take their toll on financial institutions.

Andrew McCain, whom Senator John McCain adopted in a previous marriage, formerly served as a director of the Henderson, Nevada, bank, which was closed by Nevada state officials and taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

He resigned in July due to “personal reasons,” the bank said. He previously served as a director of Choice Bank in Scottsdale, Arizona, from 2006 to April 2008 when Choice Bank merged with Silver State.

His involvement in the bank during the current credit and housing problems is a reminder of his father’s alleged role in the massive savings and loans scandal decades ago.

In the late 1980s John McCain was one of five senators known as the “Keating Five.” They were investigated by Congress over their alleged roles in the crisis, which resulted in a U.S. taxpayer bailout.

They were accused of aiding Charles Keating, who was the chairman of the failed California-based Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. McCain and another senator, John Glenn, were cleared in the Senate Ethics Committee investigation.

16092008

katiebegood(20:19:43) :

jackie (20:18:01) :
im going to apply for a passport..cause if that old fart and that dumb bitch get in..im history…

I’m already checking out property in Costa Rica. I will cash in my retirement and buy a house in Costa Rica if McSame/Palin are elected. My heart couldn’t stand another 4 years like the last 8.

16092008

DeMo(20:21:17) :

Blue Idaho aka Bash Budweiser Palin (19:01:43) :

You got to love a campanign that asks for feedback! Obama sent out e-mails to supporters asking for feedback.
***************************************************************************
It gave me the warm fuzzies. I know it was a mass email, but it really made me feel valued and valuable to the campaign.

Not much for me to say today. You folks got it covered.

I will merely offer that any media outlet that quotes McCain chanting “Drill, baby, drill” should offer a warning that some content may be objectionable to viewers.

My skin crawls when I see the “wrinkly, old guy” yelling it. Seems like something that belongs on a geriatric website. ICK.

Loin Falcon Palin

16092008

katiebegood(20:23:01) :

arkangel3 (20:19:05) :
Enjay…Barack mentioned that in his speech today, but did not use the term “Keating 5″. That is McCain’s Achilles Heel, and they are waiting for the right time to connect his involvement with the S&L scandals of the 80’s with the current Economy. It’s the Ace in the Hole. McCain himself is ashamed of that part of his career.

According to this woman who has been writing about McCain for years, he started his Maverick act right after the Keating 5 scandal as a way to rehabilitate his record.

The problem with his Maverick act is that he talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk. He still voted 80-95% of the time with Republicans even thought he tried to make himself out to be this big rebel.

16092008

MinNJ(20:23:43) :

@Sue
If your pastor mentions politics again, your church could lose their tax-exempt status and be sued by the IRS. You might want to make a call a govermental agency (IRS or equilavent) about this. Constitutionally, there is a separation of Church and State. Tax people take this very seriously, believe me. It is against the law.

Anyone remember Valerie Plame? The undercover CIA agent who was outed? She now lives in New Mexico with her family…Rove ruined her, her contacts as an agent, her husband, their life in DC. We will never know if people were killed because of her outing. Her husband criticized the administration”s build up to the war with Iraq in The New York Times.

Believe me, Alaska in now playing hard ball with the big boys, and they play dirty. I will be surprised at nothing. I hope your elected guys have a sense of courage because they’re gonna need it.

16092008

Intrigued(20:24:39) :

I think that initially Sarah Failin’ thought she could get away with Troopergate; I think that she is that arrogant. Hence the smug “I welcome the investigation” remarks despite her guilt. I think that she thinks that Alaskans are too stupid to recognize the significance of Todd receiving those e-mails so the entire Troopergate investgation would focus only on her actions RE Monnegan’s firing. Those actions could be covered up easily enough with her lies and spin as well as of her cronies….

Then McCain offers her the spot as his VP and everything changes. Suddenly she has at her disposal a full army of legal defenders, who are doing the dirty work down in the trenches (while she smells like a rose, appearing to be oh so above it all) and also giving her their “expert” advise on how to handle the entire situation on a daily basis. Recognizing the peril that she is in and the threat to McCain’s campaign, they advise her that the Shadow governor thing will be huge — even worse than her actions in Trooperage — so it must be covered up at all costs. The way to cover Shadowgate is to squash Troopergate.

So now we are seeing the flip flop, the 180. She is doing it because she CAN — she has the damage control team — and she MUST — Troopergate will blow the lid off of Shadowgate. How can the McCain camp possibly spin Shadowgate? They can’t…. those damned e-mails!!

Even if Sarah loses (the VP), she still wins in Alaska. She won the benefit of having a highly-qualified damage control team at her disposal to clean up her mess which she otherwise wouldn’t have had. What a perk!

16092008

Enjay aka Turbine Yukon(20:26:56) :

My bosses are very staunch Repubs- despite that – they are great guys.

One of the bosses showed me an email about the Capital Gains tax going to 40% (or some outrageous amount) under Barack – said before Obama takes office – all the well to do would pull their bucks from the market rather than pay that kind of tax. – Don’t think he has to worry about it now …. looks like Bush & Buds already got theirs

16092008

bPoint(20:27:37) :

Is anyone asking the McCain people about the team of 30 lawyers they’ve sent to Alaska….

You can bet, that if McCain/Palin lose the election, McCain will change his phone number and she’ll be left to fight these scandals alone with Todd.

My believe is that all Americans can handle the truth when its uncovered openly, but we can’t stand a liar who refuses to tell the truth even if it would save their own ass.

More McCain bad judgement

16092008

pamela(20:27:59) :

@LJP,

I’d like to think some republicans might come out against McCain/Palin, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. However, this is a couple of days old, but if you haven’t seen it, David Brooks, while hardly anti-Palin, seems to be saying she doesn’t have enough experience to be running for VP. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/opinion/16brooks.html?ref=opinion (Really, David?) I wonder if he can convince some of the more traditional Republicans. esp. after the Wall St. debacle.

Got a lot of reading to do. But here’s a thought for those of you who are interested in contacting each other. Set up a dedicated email. That’s what I did. Use a freebee, like on yahoo. Then, once the election’s over or you’re getting trashed, you can dump it or ignore it. I have another email that’s my mail account. The Yahoo one is sort of dedicated. If needed, I’ll set up another that I absolutely don’t use for any other reason. It’ll give you a modicum of privacy and not clutter your regular email box with garbage.

BTW, I took the plunge and started my own blog this afternoon. With a plug to Mudflats, of course. Stop by and chat. I’m hoping it’ll be another place for intelligent conversation on a wider set of topics.

THE LIST is currently at 115. stitchergini@yahoo.com if you want in. Gonna finish reading the posts and hit the sack… I’m sleep deprived, thanks to y’all and AKM.

16092008

MinNJ(20:31:16) :

@Jean in Seattle
Of course, we know that this has nothing to do with loyalty. It is a legal document demanding their testimony in an investigation. Loyatly is to the Rule of Law that governs this nation.

Country First, my ass!

16092008

Tyler(20:31:54) :

Sue –

If your pastor is endorsing anyone from the pulpit he is breaking federal tax law. He should be reported and the church should lose its 501(c)(3) status. If he is simply speaking about policy issues from a ‘christian viewpoint’ but falls short of either lobbying or endorsing anything or person … he unfortunately has every right to do so.

However, once again if he is endorsing anyone or telling the congregation how they should vote – you need to report him:

MinNJ — While you are correct that churches may lose their tax exempt status if they speak out politically, that falls under IRS tax code (IRS being the collection arm of the Federal Reserve) and has nothing whatsoever to do with separation of church and state in the U.S. Constitution.

From Wikipedia:

“The first amendment to the US Constitution states ‘Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereo,,,’

This means that the legislature (Congress) cannot enact any laws which force a state-sanctioned religion onto the people; i.e. not trampling individual rights. Period. The tax exempt status of a church has nothing to do with this, so two separate things.

16092008

arkangel3(20:35:08) :

My wife inherited some money from her brother when he passed on. We bailed this year because we figured that the Cap Gains would kill us if we did it next year (we still remember the retroactive tax increase in 93, the year we got married and had double income, no kids, no house…no write-offs!). We needed the cash for home improvements anyway, and got lucky because when we cashed in the fund, the Market was still over 12,000. I guess my late brother in law is looking out for us from somewhere.

@katiebegood- thanks for the article; I’m glad I had enough paper, LOL!

16092008

Charles(20:35:21) :

“I juut read the craziest story yet about Palin over at 2 Lesbos Goin At It and if it’s true – watch out because the woman is likely to do anything.

“It says that Palin believes she won the governorship because a minister from Africa prayed over her. . . .”

AS KEANU REEVES WOULD SAY: “WHOA!” That story about Pastor Muthee, a witch-hunting “pastor” in Kenya who Palin credits with blessing her before her gubnatorial run appears to be legit and well documented, not least by Palin’s own words in her church. Here is a link to the YouTube video where Palin describes this:

This evidence appears to portend the elevation, courtesy of Sarah Palin, of witch-hunting into the highest offices of our land, a development that might shock even Cotton Mather. This orientation may be all of a piece with Palin’s and her hench persons’ branding of anyone who disagrees with them as “haters.” I suspect this distorted attitude springs from a the radical belief of Palin and her religious allies that they are godly and may be invested with supernatural powers to bring about a restoration of Christ’s kingdom on earth, whereas all adversaries are deemed to be demonically possessed or agents of the devil. According to a write-up on Huffingtonpost, this is apparently a literally believed view among many radical, tongues-speaking pentacostalists and is, obviously, within a hair’s breadth of religious fascism, if not fascism itself. Really, this stuff is too much even for other fundamentalists and evangelicals, and Palin’s wing of protestantism has been condemned as a heresy by them.

I do not believe there can be any overestimating the danger our country faces if it permits this barbarian to ascend into national office. End Days indeed. Let’s see McCain explain his way out of this one.

16092008

Gary, Amery WI(20:37:51) :

OK. I just know I read somewhere that Sarah Palin cut funding for special-needs children’s programs in Alaska (or Wasilla?) before she gave birth to Trig. Am I just dreaming that?

16092008

jwa(20:37:57) :

You know, I think if she had simply cooperated with the investigation from the beginning (as she promised) the whole think would have blown over by now. She would have taken a hit for a day or two on the news for abusing her power, everyone would have just said she was just doing what all the MEN have been doing for years, accused her detractors of being sexist and we would be on to the next thing by now.

Instead, by obfuscating, obscuring, and lawyering up, she has hung a huge sign over her head that says “I’M HIDING SOMETHING”. As in so many political scandals of the past, the original act is not what really gets you in trouble, but the cover-up. Don’t the McCain people know this??? They are stringing this whole thing out, keeping it front page news and I hope it bites them in the a** like a PIT BULL.

Financial events have conspired to allow Barack to finally concentrate attention on the economy, McCain is floundering to respond with anything more intelligent than “Let’s appoint a STUDY COMMISSION” for God’s sake, and the MSM seems to finally be smelling blood and circling Palin like wolves around an aerial-shot caribou.

This campaign is so full of twists and turns, we never know what will happen tomorrow, and I am still scared McPalin will squeak out of this one by using back-room Rove/Cheney dirty tricks. But I am cautiously optimistic the worm may be turning.

16092008

Cynthia, TX(20:38:04) :

Enjay aka Turbine Yukon (20:26:56) :

He is proposing to take the rate back to 39% where it was when Clinton was in office. I don’t recall that many people flipping about the capital gains tax.

I would say for most Americans this is not going to be much of an issue if they don’t have any money to save.

16092008

arkangel3(20:40:43) :

Got ya bookmarked Palmdale. I’ll link to it tomorrow when I’m writing the next installment of “A Danger To The Republic Part III”.

Btw, my e-mail addy if anyone want to send some material is ark3blog@me.com

Sorry for the narcissistic addy- Apple changed .Mac to .Me and that’s what I got when I set up the last box on my family account. Please feel free to write away and e-mail me anytime.

16092008

pamela(20:41:38) :

Fiorina fired? I love it! She soooo deserves to be put on the back burner. I always found it amusing that someone who got fired for incompetence was supposedly a “good” spokesperson for McCain. And her remarks were so timely, too, with the stock market disaster. Also amusing she’d be defending the choice of Palin for VP, but who better to recognize incompetence. After all, as we all said in school “it takes one to know one.”

16092008

katiebegood(20:41:57) :

Intrigued (20:24:39) :
I think that initially Sarah Failin’ thought she could get away with Troopergate; I think that she is that arrogant. Hence the smug “I welcome the investigation” remarks despite her guilt.

The sad thing for her is that she probably would have gotten a “bad girl” slap on the wrist if she had allowed the investigation to come to it’s conclusion. Now she has guaranteed that it is an issue that will be in the forefront for the remainder of the election season. It’s usually not the crime that gets them, it’s the cover up. I can’t help but think that this is making an awful lot of independents think WTF, that sounds like Bush.

16092008

JNagarya(20:44:32) :

Sign for rally:

Those aren’t earrings. Those are earmarks.

16092008

katiebegood(20:45:31) :

Gary, Amery WI (20:37:51) :

OK. I just know I read somewhere that Sarah Palin cut funding for special-needs children’s programs in Alaska (or Wasilla?) before she gave birth to Trig. Am I just dreaming that?

She cut the budget for the Special Olympics in Alaska in half. She didn’t give a flying fig about special needs children until one showed up in her family and she could use it as a campaign prop. It does look like someone finally took Trig home. I felt sorry for the little guy the way they passed him around on stage like a big rag doll.

BTW, I thought that the First Dude quit his job so that he could stay home and take care of his kids. What happened?

Interesting that the Keating 5 should be surfacing. I commend to all of you a book called “Inside Job; The Looting of America’s Savings & Loans” by Stphen Pizzo, Mary Fricker & Paul Muolo (1991). Jack Anderson called it the “All the Presidents’ Men of the savings and loan crisis. ” I can recommend it from personal experience. In short, it’s the tale of the consequences of deregulation, accompanied by lack of oversight. Sound familiar? You’d have thought we would have learned. This book doesn’t specifically mention either of the failed S&Ls I helped “resolve”, but it’s spot on for what I observed. If anything this book underplays what I observed. Another name that is rarely mentioned today is that of Neil Bush. He played a significant role as well as did John McCain. And so it goes.

16092008

bPoint(20:46:36) :

Sarah was going to cooperate with the investigation, but now it seems she can’t get the lipstick on the pig.

16092008

JNagarya(20:47:57) :

I would suggest that the effort to steal the election is already gearing up: Palin has no business running for political office; and yet they’re doing all they can to put lipstick on the . . . Cheney.

Bushit in a skirt.

16092008

pamela(20:48:00) :

@DeMo,

Are you serious? Someone has recorded McCain shouting “drill, baby, drill”? It was ludicrous enough for the crowd at the convention, but I thought he had the good sense to refrain from that refrain. I guess he WILL do anything to get elected🙂

G’night all.

16092008

katiebegood(20:48:19) :

MinNJ (20:31:16) :
@Jean in Seattle
Of course, we know that this has nothing to do with loyalty. It is a legal document demanding their testimony in an investigation. Loyatly is to the Rule of Law that governs this nation.
Country First, my ass!

And State worker’s loyalty is to the State of Alaska first, not to Sarah Palin.

What is Todd Palin going to do. Is he going to plead the 5th?

16092008

jwa(20:48:47) :

Charlie Gibson is starting to look pretty smart when he accused her of hubris for not even pausing to consider if she was qualified to be VP. This whole coverup is looking like the classic hubris of a politician who thinks they are above the law and the rules are for everyone else.

Methinks ‘small town’ Sarah is learning the rules of big-time politics quickly. Gosh, maybe she IS qualified after all….in a Dick Cheney kind of way

16092008

Aussie Puck Mule Revlon Red Palin(20:49:16) :

Tyler, if you’re still around, no – Frisco Eddie wasn’t suspended for what he did.

He did his bad deeds last week and his station manager stood by him.

Frisco Eddie is suspended THIS week …… can only be angry sponsors, IMO.

16092008

AK Republican, no more AKA Mole Valdez Palin(20:50:12) :

@ Carson Park Ranger (19:55:53) :

“Why is it that the publicly pious promoters of “family values” always fall so far short of the marks they would impose upon others.”

My husband pointed out that if you were just to look at the two tickets based on family and moral values, we might be confused as to which was which. The republicans are always so proud of their family values and I will tell you I am not impressed with the affairs and the pregnant teenager.

Hey Mudflaps…thank you so much for keeping us informed down here in the lower 48. It’s too bad this isn’t being broadcast on one of the big networks. I’m sending everyone I know to your blog to get the word out! Keep up the good work!

16092008

suchanut(20:54:20) :

First, I don’t think SP can define “hubris” – hence the deer in the headlights thingie.

Seond, AK Republican, no more AKA Mole Valdez Palin – how does it feel to finally see? You opened yourself and now you see differently. Way To Go! Keep asking questions. You rock!

16092008

Eyes Wide Open in Pittsburgh(20:54:36) :

LOVE your blog. I have been faithfully reading it every day for about two weeks now.

I only remember one thing from my liberal arts education …Plato’s allegory of the cave. (anyone unfamiliar with the story can find it in Wikipedea) Anyway, Plato’s allegory of the cave reminds me of the masses and politics today.

Too many people are mentaly chained in the cave with blinders on while Fox news tells them what to think. If only more people could unteather themselves from the propoganda and seek out the truth.

These were contributions to Obama and McCain, not to the DNC or the RNC.

Frankly, I find the individual donations to McCain to be startling. But, this survey doesn’t break down the average contribution amount. I’m betting that McCain’s are very large and Obamas are more modest.

Some years ago I read about how companies would pay their workers a “bonus of $1,000” and the employees would turn around and donate that money to the employer’s candidate of choice. I wonder if that is still being done?

16092008

suchanut(20:59:03) :

I love the allegory of the cave!

[Socrates] Yes, my friend, I said; and there lies the point. You must contrive for your future rulers another and a better life than that of a ruler, and then you may have a well-ordered State; for only in the State which offers this, will they rule who are truly rich, not in silver and gold, but in virtue and wisdom, which are the true blessings of life. Whereas if they go to the administration of public affairs, poor and hungering after the’ own private advantage, thinking that hence they are to snatch the chief good, order there can never be; for they will be fighting about office, and the civil and domestic broils which thus arise will be the ruin of the rulers themselves and of the whole State.

I believe Women Against Palin are organizing them in all major cities. I signed up yesterday so I can watch for the evil spawn.

16092008

HamletsMill aka Rot Pipeline(21:01:29) :

katiebegood (20:19:43) :

jackie (20:18:01) :
im going to apply for a passport..cause if that old fart and that dumb bitch get in..im history…

I’m already checking out property in Costa Rica. I will cash in my retirement and buy a house in Costa Rica if McSame/Palin are elected. My heart couldn’t stand another 4 years like the last 8.
———————————

Ditto. I have very good native contacts in Costa Rica myself. Actually, Americans have been very quietly pouring into the country since 2004. Many people moving there are former insider government and military people who have known we are in big trouble since BushCo II. It’s my Plan B too.

16092008

KTN aka Wood Corps Palin(21:03:29) :

you mean the RNC as asked that Fiorina NOT speak to the press anymore ??!?!!

those SEXIST BASTARDS !!!!!

🙂

16092008

Rhett O'Rical(21:03:43) :

katiebegood: i checked opensecrets.org to see if any of my neighbors were closet republicans. you can check donors by zip code. such fun for the terminally bored!

16092008

Eyes Wide Open in Pittsburgh(21:06:47) :

Oh yes, sorry ’bout that. I remember reading it in Plato’s Replubic. Plato was recounting a story of Socrates. Thank you much for the link suchanut.

16092008

Amused and Bewildered(21:08:24) :

Just a letter, but a good one…

On his Keating Five experience, McCain has said: “The appearance of it was wrong. It’s a wrong appearance when a group of senators appear in a meeting with a group of regulators, because it conveys the impression of undue and improper influence. And it was the wrong thing to do.” In the end, McCain was one of two cleared by the Senate Ethics Committee of acting improperly or violating any law or Senate rule, but was rebuked for exercising “poor judgment.”

Question. Is it possible Sarah Palin is really Florida’s Katherine Harris with a much needed makeover and a little less lipstick?

16092008

bPoint(21:14:13) :

Amused,

The word poor judgement seems to appear next to McCains name quite a bit.

16092008

HamletsMill aka Rot Pipeline Palin(21:15:40) :

pamela (20:48:00) :

@DeMo,

Are you serious? Someone has recorded McCain shouting “drill, baby, drill”? It was ludicrous enough for the crowd at the convention, but I thought he had the good sense to refrain from that refrain. I guess he WILL do anything to get elected🙂

G’night all.
—————————–
The new Repug slogan should be “bail, baby, bail”!

They certainly don’t mind creating a new “socialist” state when it comes to Palin’s Alaskan oil dividend for Alaskans ONLY, or “no-bid” war contracts, or billions to keep cronies on Wall Street from ending up in the gutter because of their fathomless greed and incompetence! Heck, Fannie May and Freddie Mack will have the U.S. Government ending up owning half the housing in the nation. And the U.S. Gov is now in the insurance business owning 80& of AIG!

Where is Reagan’s infamous the worst words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help” now in 2008?

God help us with this pack of fools!

When will the American people have enough of this farce?

When?

These people are immoral scum who have destroyed the seed corn of the nation.

I say enough!

16092008

bas(21:15:53) :

I almost lost my mind today in Wasilla. I was feeling pretty good until I went out and about today. Two things I heard today: “Obama is behind the smear on Sarah and Troopergate.” And “I don’t usually tell people this, but I guess I’m a racist – I just can’t vote for a black guy.” I almost had a breakdown! I can’t take it! I had to get the hell out of there before I hurt somebody! I’m usually a peaceful person but I’m afraid I’m going to have a blood pressure problem. How to go about life and deal with people like that? I had to come home and get my Mudflats fix. Lately it’s the only thing that keeps me sane! Thanks to you all – you are lifesavers!

16092008

Rhett O'Rical(21:17:07) :

We should also not forget mccain helping his shady friend buy up former military bases.

Dear akmuckraker,
Welcome to the lawyer-ing up of the lower 48.
I have spent a good deal of time in south east Alaska on boats and I am sorry to see it happen up there too. Alaska is such a beautiful unique place. We have friends who live in the bush and out on obscure islands.
I will get out the studded tires early here and prepare for the worst.
Thank you again for keeping us so wonderfully informed. I have been ahead of the curve because of you! And I tell everyone about this site.
All the best!
Obama/Biden 08!

16092008

bopster(21:21:30) :

Fear not, Palin’s stock is falling quickly and McCain has to lie about the number of people that show up at his rallies. The American people are starting to find out what she is all about…right of GW and equally deceitful. Bill Clinton might be right when he said Obama will win handily.

16092008

SMR(21:22:41) :

@bas:

I had to go out to Wasilla today to pick some things up. Put my Obama/Biden sign in the window of my car. Wondered if someone was going to bash my window out. It’s a crazy world out there, don’t know how you hold on to your sanity living out in Wasilla, but good on ya for fighting the good fight. We drove out to Sheep Mtn on Labor Day and I had forgotten how beautiful it is on the way out there, such a shame there is so much hate out that direction. Hang in there. My uncle lives out there too, walked door to door campaigning for Knowles when he was running against Sarah. That’s a masochist for ya! Anyway, I know you’re not alone because I know about 10 Democrats who live out there. It’s not much, but most days you probably feel like you’re the only one, so take heart.

16092008

arkangel3(21:26:19) :

The allegory of the cave is *exactly* what is happening now. I’ve been thinking about that for a few weeks now (and I might have even included it in a post…but with all my posts, who knows?).

As always, Plato makes as much sense as he did centuries ago…only now with the Internet we are starting to change things. Think about this; how much technology has advanced since 2000 and the Net is almost in every town or home. Look at what is happening on this site. This is truly a remarkable time to be alive, because we have the chance to move Humanity onward and away from what we are. We just need to complete what has begun on this site and others.

Freedom is not given at the point of a gun, nor is it “allowed” by Government. It is the birthright of everyone on this world. Freedom to BE who and what you are, and the RIGHT to carry that journey with no interference from anyone with no harm to anyone.

Our Founders knew this to be true. Our Constitution GUARANTEES the Freedom of the Journey that I just described. It is up to the individual to take that opportunity for “life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness”.

We just need to fulfill the hopes and dreams of our Founders and take this journey honestly, with no hesitation and no doubts. We have the means to achieve that in this Election and we should be faithful to the trust they put in us to maintain their idea of a “more perfect Union”. We cannot be a Union if we are Divided…Lincoln and the brave men in our costliest war proved that, and died for the cause.

Lincoln said it better than I ever could:

The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation. We say we are for the Union. The world will not forget that we say this. We know how to save the Union. The world knows we do know how to save it. We — even we here — hold the power, and bear the responsibility. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free — honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.

-Abraham Lincoln

16092008

Amused and Bewildered(21:28:18) :

@bPoint Yes, my thought exactly!! I think that word is KEY to the argument! I realized after I posted the letter that the quote was also cited in Wikipedia. It’s a very good letter though, with a good, more personal seeming overview of what happened and some other thoughts about McCain. Worth reading.

16092008

VP, Flat Earth Society(21:30:17) :

@Bas – “I don’t usually tell people this, but I guess I’m a racist – I just can’t vote for a black guy.”
_________________

I really don’t believe there are any real racists, just people wallowing in their ignorance.

16092008

NoCalGal(21:30:19) :

RE: the subpoenas in AK, and the AG saying that the State employees will not testify unless the entire Legislature compells it… two thoughts:

1) Todd Palin was subpoenaed. He is NOT a State employee- so he is not under the same dilemma and should be able to testify… 🙂

2) ALL of these ppl from the lowest state janitor to the AG have sworn an oath to the STATE of Alaska.. not the governor nor the legislature, but the institution of the STATE.. why would they not honor that obligation???

oh- and a thrid thought just occurred to me… if the Governor did nothing wrong (as she claims) how could the state employees be doing her a disservice by testifying? Wouldn’t they just support her claim of innocence?

So if she is trying so hard to keep them from testifying- doesn’t that imply that what they have to say would not support her claim of innocence? If she is innocent- there would be no conflict between her and the legislature… the truth is the truth…

16092008

HamletsMill aka Rot Pipeline Palin(21:31:38) :

bas (21:15:53) :

I almost lost my mind today in Wasilla. I was feeling pretty good until I went out and about today. Two things I heard today: “Obama is behind the smear on Sarah and Troopergate.” And “I don’t usually tell people this, but I guess I’m a racist – I just can’t vote for a black guy.” I almost had a breakdown! I can’t take it! I had to get the hell out of there before I hurt somebody! I’m usually a peaceful person but I’m afraid I’m going to have a blood pressure problem. How to go about life and deal with people like that? I had to come home and get my Mudflats fix. Lately it’s the only thing that keeps me sane! Thanks to you all – you are lifesavers!
——————————-
I hear ya! But everyone where I work is the exact opposite. 20 Obama/Biden – 2 McLame/Failin. And the 2 McLame/Failin are long time Limpbaugh listeners that are keeping very quiet these days. We truly love these co-workers dearly as people, but when they leave for the day, all hell breaks lose in open political talk! People are livid at the utter insulting recklessness of McCain. And I mean absolutely livid!

If things start to get to you even worse up in Wasilla, maybe get a full spectrum light box or maybe your own tanning bed? And it sounds like crystal meth is also a popular choice locally too.

Or maybe just your Mudflats fix will keep you alive!

Everyone keep posting worldwide.

Now it’s back to bed for me.

16092008

Eyes Wide Open in Pittsburgh(21:32:32) :

I think many people cannot relate to Obama because he comes across as an intellectual, which of course he is.

Bill Clinton’s great gift was that despite his genius mind and his top notch education, blue collar workers could relate to him as if he was their drinking buddy.

A lot of these same people relate more to McCain as someone they could most easily sit with at Dunkin Donuts and drink coffee with. Heck, couldn’t you imagine McCain as a barber or a factory worker? Whatabout George Bush as a UPS driver? Sarah Palin as a waitress at the diner?

Of course, I wouldn’t want our local UPS driver in charge of America. Since when did intelligence become a handicap to gaining the electorates support?

16092008

AK Republican, no more(21:33:57) :

AK Muckraker,
I am pretty sure that Palin reassigned Monegan, and he chose to not take the position that was offered to him. Is that correct? I am not asking because I support anything she has done, I am asking because if she reassigned him, then why is this such a big secret for her to hid from?

Eyes wide Open- ITA I have always said I want the smartest person in the room leading my country. They must be moral and ethical but I want the brightest person! Why wouldn’t I?? I just don’t get that concept of wanting someone “just like me” to be the head of State… I want someone who is 100 times BETTER than me… I am not ignorant- pretty highly educated etc. BUT I COULDN’T DO THAT JOB!!!

And I agree with the posting yesterday- I want the politcs of HOPE not fear and death. I choose LIFE!

16092008

arkangel3(21:40:48) :

Thank you Hamlets. I had tears writing it, and I believe deeply in my heart and soul every word of it.

Maureen Dowd’d column about Wasilla is out at the NYTimes …. can’t send a link

Title ‘Barbies for War!’

16092008

Bluedog aka Bash Budweiser Palin Jr.(21:42:59) :

A little ray of hope….”Palin’s Favorability Ratings Begin to Falter”

According to Newsweek, one daily poll shows that her “favorable” numbers have dropped and her “negative” numbers have risen. The gap between the two ratings was 22 on Sept. 13. But since then, it has narrowed to 12 points.

I know we don’t believe in polls and all…but it made me feel a teensy bit better.

Go to http://www.newsweek.com and look for the “Stumped” tab on the home page. And the article about Palin’s legal “fixer” is a must-read.

16092008

SMR(21:43:42) :

@stillidealistic:

The high from the rally is wearing off, or maybe it’s just this latest crap that the Palinites pulled today, so I’m not feeling as optimistic as I was. That means that it’s time to get out door to door to see if I can effect some positive change here in Alaska.

Okay, here’s the deal with Alaska red vs. blue (my opinion, of course): I think that the Native vote is gone for her, out the window. If the Native elders & leaders can convince their people to get out & vote, there will be almost no votes for her & McCain from them. That’s thousands of votes, pretty much cancels out any votes that she’d get from the Valley, as I’d estimate that the population numbers are similar. Are there any Alaskan Natives reading this blog that can contribute to that discussion? I stood next to two wonderful brave Native women at the rally, so I know there are concerned voters out there.

Further, Anchorage, the biggest city, I guess that I consider it to be a pretty Democratic place. This state has always been so pro-Republican (thanks to Uncle Ted) that I have never before seen such divisiveness between Dems & Repubs. I was not here in AK for the last election (Bush/Gore), so can’t speak as to the vibe at that time. Can anyone chime in about that? This time around there are lots of converted Republicans like myself & my husband. We are oil company employees, and worshipped at the altar of oil until the 2004 election. Now we have seen the light. Actually, my husband says he’d have voted for McCain until he added Palin to the ticket, but I still love him since he’s voting for Obama now.

Anyway, that leaves Juneau & Ketchikan & the rest of the southeast as the more heavily populated areas (will address Fairbanks separately), and since the Bridge to Nowhere is in the SEast, and Juneau is the capital city where Palin has shit all over everyone, I doubt she can look for much support there.

There are large military bases near Anchorage & Fairbanks. I hope that some of them will vote for Obama, but maybe not many. On the positive side, perhaps many of them are voting absentee for other states that were red & will stay red, so therefore won’t cancel out the good votes here. Fairbanks, well, that place is a mystery to me, but I think it’s still the 2nd biggest city in Alaska (in spite of what Rove said). It is a big University town, so lots & lots of young voters. I really hope there’s a strong Obama talking presence there. There are also lots of people who consider themselves environmentally aware (living out by Mt McKinley/Denali), those votes won’t go to McCain/Palin. Then there are those out there who think that the oil industry is going to solve every problem and give everyone better jobs (not going to happen under Palin’s current tax structure), so they will vote for McCain. Numbers? Throwing the military base numbers in I’d skew it toward McCain, but without that, forget it, I think Obama would win there.

On the bright side, my husband & I are not the only registered (formerly — we changed that this year when we moved back to AK) Republicans voting for Obama. I know several of them who have seen the light.

So, does that help? Are you still idealistic?

I’m sure that there are many readers who can do a better job answering this than I can, as I was very a-political until this election, and have been out of AK for several years. But I lived here for 35 years, so that does count for something!

“I remember one day during the convention someone mentioned something about a delegate, but that’s all I heard. As far as I know, he’s a Republican activist who was able to get elected as a delegate to the convention,” Wadhams said.

Earlier, Schwartz was interviewed during the convention and told a convention reporter he was for “less taxes and more war. ” In a statement Tuesday, he said that he was joking during the interview.

The article says “he’s a Republican activist”.

Is buying a hooker the new definition of what it means to be a Republican “community organizer”?

No wonder Wall Street is a mess. He lost $50,000 and didn’t even get the goods!

16092008

Hick Town in W PA(21:47:46) :

Last Line in Barbies for War – from an interview at the rally

R. D. Levno, a retired school principal, flew in from Fairbanks. “She’s a child, inexperienced and simplistic,” she said of Sarah. “It’s taking us back to junior high school. She’s one of the popular girls, but one of the mean girls. She is seductive, but she is invented.”

Mudflats, we in the lower 48 appreciate the forum and all your hard work. So sorry to hear that Palin cut WIC in your state – it’s one of the best programs out there for women and children (it helped me birth a healthy 8 lb+ baby).

16092008

NoCalGal(21:54:50) :

ArkAngel

I too have been wondering about and worrying about how DIVIDED this country has become. It seems to me that the dark side of the conservative movement (and I do not think they are all on the dark side) has been behind this Divide and Conquer movement. And it disturbs me… is that what those HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS of Americans died for in the 1860s?

People need to know their history better- and they need to think.

And the AIP is another symbol of the illness…

16092008

VP, Flat Earth Society(21:55:18) :

Republican delegate gets rolled by a hooker in Minneapolis for $50,000. Best story of this campaign…
______________________

I read the full story and amongst the things stolen from him were a necklace and earrings. Odd.

16092008

BigSlick(21:57:33) :

SARAH PALIN
Palin Says She’s a Change from The Scandal-Plagued Republicans, But She’s More of
the Same. Palin built her reputation on criticizing state Republicans for ethics questions, but Palin has
questions of her own, as she used city resources when she campaigned for Lt. Governor; Palin chaired the
campaign of another candidate in a race dominated by resource issues when she was on the oil and gas
commission and said that she saw no conflict of interest. For years, Palin supported Murkowski,
campaigning for him across the state, and he supported her campaigns as well.
Palin Touts Fiscal Conservatism, But She Increased Spending Tremendously and
Supported Tax Increases. Palin constantly reminds us that she is a fiscal conservative. But during
her time as mayor, she increased the city’s budget at a rate far outpacing the city’s growth with spending
on large projects. She supported sales tax increases and left the city with thousands in per-capita debt,
where none had existed when she came in. Palin brags about eliminating the personal property tax, but
with the same legislation, the city increased motor vehicle fees that almost matched the lost income of the
personal property taxes.
Palin Is Too Socially Conservative for Libertarian Alaska. Palin is a strong conservative—
something she repeated throughout her primary campaign but now seems to try to back off from. She is
not only pro-life but is involved with—and even steered tax money toward—organizations that give
misleading information on abortion. She called herself a “hard-core fiscal conservative” who wanted
government to get to the bare bones. The Anchorage Daily News asked whether her “socially
conservative positions square with Alaska’s generally libertarian approach to those issues.” Palin also
supported a flat tax, an idea even Bob Dole thought was absurd.
Palin’s Management Style is to Bully and Demand Political Loyalty. Palin’s tenure as
mayor of Wasilla was marred by tremendous staff turnover, first when she fired most of the top staff—
including the city’s librarian—because she questioned their loyalty, and then later when staff quit because
of her micromanaging style. Wasilla even lost the opportunity to hire a police chief because he said the
job seemed too political.
Palin’s Not Ready for Primetime. Palin argues that she was the mayor of the fastest growing city
in Alaska. While that may be true, Wasilla’s population is still 1 percent of the rest of the state of Alaska.
The last budget Palin approved, $12.5 million, is .2 percent of the $7.3 billion budget Tony Knowles
approved.
Palin’s Not Tough Enough to Be A Strong Negotiator for Alaska. As mayor, Palin fired
someone because she said he intimidated her with his size and because he gave her a “stern look.” She
asked her department heads to give her only good news and once complained because we are so desperate
in Alaska for any semblance of glamour and culture.”

16092008

Erin(21:59:36) :

If you’re looking for proof that the Republicans are jumping ship, check this out:

Title: “The Ugly New McCain”
Written by Richard Cohen, a self-proclaimed McCain supporter, denounces what McCain has become in recent weeks.

16092008

arkangel3(22:00:23) :

No Cal Gal…I offer some words of wisdom and inspiration from TE Lawrence, a/k/a Lawrence of Arabia:

“All men dream; but not equally. Those that dream at night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dream with open eyes to make it possible.” -TE Lawrence

He is one of my heroes in history; he somehow managed to unite various Arab tribes and factions into a cohesive fighting force against Ottoman Turkey. He is a shining example of what people can do if they put their minds to it. Read “the Seven Pillars Of Wisdom”…it’s a life-changing book.

16092008

Scared in lower 48(22:08:29) :

PLEASE… since Palin & McCain put ambitions first… there must be SOMETHING Alaskans can do to protest this injustice for political expediency!!!!

We are at war… my husband is in the militray… this election is a mater of life & death for so many!!!

“The problem is that Sarah Palin was also asking those millions of Americans to put her first in line for the most important position in humankind.

George Bush, who spoke incessantly about leadership before his election, has had more than seven years to prove himself a leader, and managed to prove conclusively only that he was not.

Here is the answer that is truly frightening. It lets us know that the nation may be in danger of electing another leader bearing the most profound of George Bush’s shortcomings: blindness to one’s own shortcomings.”

16092008

JD(22:10:41) :

I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight…..

* If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you’re ‘exotic, different.’

* Grow up in Alaska eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.

* Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, you’re a maverick.

* Graduate from Harvard law School and you are unstable.

* Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senaterepresenting a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you
don’t have any real leadership e xperience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking
executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughte r ends up pregnant, you’re very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America ‘s.

* If you’re husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

OK, much clearer now

16092008

HamletsMill aka Rot Pipeline Palin(22:14:14) :

I haven’t been watching TV in all this since P Day since I am so busy in life and am usually on the Internet in my free time. Are these the actual ads that are running out there? I am astonished! Are these what are running out there in your states?

I think it’s becoming more and more clear that McCain did vet Palin and didn’t find her Troopergate wrinkle to be anything serious that a few Washington lawyers and some well-placed bribes (or threats) to Republicans in high places couldn’t solve. Protest is futile is my gut feeling. They are buying time and if I were a betting person I would bet they get it.

I’m getting that scary sense of dread that all of Democrats start getting about this time. With the economy the way it is, the weakness of the Republican ticket especially with this absolute travestry of the VP pick, the shambles left behind by Bush/Cheney and this god-forsaken war, Obama should be up 90% in the polls. Why is it so damn close! What the hell happened?

Sarah Palin is a rotten piece of work, but then again so is John McCain. McCain calling Palin his ‘soulmate’ is starting to make a whole lot of creepy sense. I’m sure the ‘soulmate’ conversation came after McCain sat her down and told her this is how we are going to play this out. You are going to lie when you need to lie and you are going to read from a script without answering a single question on your own and you are going to do all that without asking questions. And Sarah Palin probably just looked at him with her cold unblinking eyes of hers and answered, “Yep Yep”

Thanks to whoever posted the Garrison Keillor article. I love Garrison Keillor! That was a small bright spot in an increasingly onimously worrying day.

Oh, one more bright spot!
One word for you Carly Fiorina – K A R M A! I hope you lost all your blood money in the stock market!

Kudos AKM! You rock and are getting more famous by the minute! Keep on mucking!

To everyone else…
Patience and Steel

16092008

AK49(22:16:08) :

@AK Republican No More:
RE: Reassigned Monagan:

She offered him the job at the ABC Board (alcohol beverage control). It is a bureaucratic paper shuffle job. The office is actually in a garage type building in the back of the police campus on Tudor. No way was that a job anyone with his qualifications would accept. More duck and cover BS from SP.

16092008

biglake(22:16:27) :

“She thought it was quite funny, particularly because she once dressed up as Tina Fey for Halloween,” Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt told CBS.

And this year’s Halloween costume hit will feature lipstick and glasses drawn on a paper plate or something equally vacuous.

16092008

BigSlick(22:18:52) :

Palin Did Not See A Conflict of Interest With A City Engineer Who Also Had a Consulting Business
Compiling Soil Data for Developers. In 2005, questions arose about whether Archie Giddings, public
works director for Wasilla, and a member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Port Commission, had a
conflict of interest because he ran a consulting business compiling soil data for developers. “When he
became city engineer for Wasilla under then-Mayor Sarah Palin, Giddings said he told her of his
consulting business, and there was no problem.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 10/17/05]
Palin Chaired Campaign for Mat-Su Mayor that Involved Methane Exploration While on OGC,
Said there Was No Conflict Because The Mayor’s Race Was Non-Partisan. “This fall Palin was the
chair of Charlie Fannon’s unsuccessful campaign for Mat-Su Borough mayor. A central issue in the race
was proposals by Denver-based Evergreen Resources Inc. to explore for coal bed methane on 300,000
acres of state gas leases in the Mat-Su. Fannon was more of a coal bed supporter than his opponent was.
Palin’s commission would regulate Evergreen’s drilling. That’s not a conflict of interest, she said Friday.
Palin said her position on Fannon’s campaign wasn’t comparable to Ruedrich’s with the political party.
The Mat-Su mayor’s race was nonpartisan, and so it falls outside the scope of the state ethics act, Palin
said. She also agreed to serve on Fannon’s campaign months before the uproar over gas exploration
started.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 11/8/03]
• Evergreen Executives Gave Heavily to Fannon’s Campaign, Who Said He Welcomed their
Drilling; Palin Was Campaign Chair, Despite the Fact She Would Be Regulating Their
Operations. “After its success in getting the state Legislature to reduce governmental oversight of
its operations, Evergreen Resources Inc. has turned its attention to the Mat-Su mayor’s election,
just days away. With all of its 300,000 acres in state shallow-gas leases in a single basket — the
Mat-Su Borough — company officials have sided with a challenger to borough Mayor Tim
Anderson, though they say the company itself is neutral…Anderson’s opponent, former Wasilla
Police Chief Charlie Fannon, said he welcomes new drilling provided local communities have a
say. Fannon’s campaign chairwoman is former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin, who now, as one of
three members of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, will be regulating
Evergreen’s operations. Three Evergreen officials have contributed $1,400 to Fannon’s campaign,
though he returned twin $500 checks from Evergreen chief executive Mark Sexton and lobbyist
Jack Ekstrom because he decided to not take donations from non-Alaskans.” [Anchorage Daily News
(Alaska), 10/4/03]
Palin Was Appointed By Murkowski to Oil and Gas Commission. In 2003, Gov. Frank Murkowski
appointed Alaska Republican Party chairman Randy Ruedrich and Republican lieutenant governor
runner-up Sarah Palin to state jobs overseeing the oil and gas industry. Murkowski chose Ruedrich and
Palin to fill two of the three seats on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, a regulatory
agency. The seats are full-time jobs that pay about $118,000 a year. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK), 2/20/03]
Fairbanks DNM Criticized Murkowski For Calling Palin “Well Qualified” for Oil and Gas
Commission Rather Than Admitting it Was a Political Appointment. When Murkowski appointed
Palin to the Oil and Gas Commission, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner wrote, “We don’t take issue with
the governor’s appointment of Palin. Rather, we take issue with how he presented it. For the governor,
who rejected a suggestion that both appointments are political rewards, to call Palin “well qualified” at
this point is premature. She likely will become well-qualified through hard work in her new full-time job
as a commissioner overseeing Alaska’s mainstay industry. The public is aware and accepting of the fact
that people who work hard on a campaign will be given jobs in a new administration–other governors, in
Alaska and in other states, have done this. Gov. Murkowski should recognize that the public is not naive,
and he should therefore be forthright when unveiling his appointments.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner,
Editorial, 2/20/03]
Palin Was Criticized for What Some Said Was Misleading Tactics Telling Primary Voters They
Had to Request a Republican Ballot, When They Did Not. “Brown also criticized a sticky-note
campaign ad that Palin put on the front of the Daily News Tuesday, saying it mislead voters. The note
included a picture of Palin and said: “Thank you for taking a stand and for your vote today! If you are
undeclared or non-partisan, you must ask for the Republican ballot.” Some voters thought that meant they
had no choice but to choose the Republican ballot when really they could have selected either, said
Democrats, who called the ad misleading. Kris Perry, a key volunteer for the Palin campaign, said the ad
was meant to remind Palin supporters to vote and to make sure they asked for the right ballot.” [Anchorage
Daily News (Alaska), 8/24/06]

mccain better watch his back. this is a very ambitious woman who realizes he is 72 yrs old. IF he wins this year,in 4 yers he won’t be re-electabvle. she is using him as a stepping stone and laughing all the while. what some poeple see as “straightforwardness” is in reality an overblown. very dangerous, ego.
mc cain—watch your back if you win the election amd sleep with a lot of protection. who knows…….

16092008

BigSlick(22:23:13) :

Palin Filed An Ethics Complaint Against Attorney General Gregg Renkes. Sarah Palin filed an
ethics complaint against Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes due to an alleged $126,000 conflict of
interest involving stock ownership in a company he was negotiating state contracts with. Gregg’s
Attorney denied any wrongdoing and insisted that Gregg’s actions were legal. Palin stated, “I’m surprised
[…] there’s still such denial that there was any wrongdoing when obviously and legally there was
wrongdoing.” [Anchorage Daily News, 3/12/05, 6/8/05]
􀂃 Alaska Personnel Board Dismissed Palin’s Ethics Complaints Against Renkes. Allegations
against Renkes were dropped in exchange for the files collected by Governor Frank Murkowski’s
investigator. The settlement also stated that finding Renkes stock holdings would not be enough to
conclude a state ethics law violation. [AP, 3/8/05]
􀂃 Ralph Seekins Sought To Make Palin a Criminal For Making Her Ethics Complaint Against
Murkowski Public. Seekins proposed bill would have sent Sarah Palin to jail for speaking
publicly on the Renkes ethics complaint that was not settled until Renkes resigned from office.
Seekins said his bill would protect accused official from the “political weapon” of publicizing
ethics complaint that have not been settled. [AP, 4/22/05]
􀂃 Palin Would Drop Ethics Complain Against Renkes to Allow Documents to Become Public.
If the 6,000 document gathered in the Bundy investigation became public, Palin said she might
drop her complaint against Renkes that led to his resignation as attorney general. [Anchorage Daily
News, 2/8/05]
􀂃 Palin Questioned Objectivity of Attorney Robert Bundy In Gregg Renkes Ethics
Investigation. Robert Bundy, the attorney hired to investigate the Renkes ethics complaints, was
hired as a private attorney by the Governor Murkowski. Cross-party speculation arose over why
the governor did not use the personnel board charged with handling executive branch ethics. Sarah
Palin stated “It sounds like a defense of Renkes more than the kind of open-ended independent
investigation.” [Anchorage Daily News, 1/28/05]
Palin Disclosed Ethics Violations by Alaska GOP Chairman, Randy Ruedrich. As Chairwoman of
the Alaskan Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Palin filed a complaint against fellow commission
member, and Alaska GOP Chairman, Randy Ruedrich. Ruedrich violated state ethics laws by negotiating
deals between the GOP and oil companies from his office at the commission. Ruedrich was fined $12,000
and resigned from the Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to continue serving as Chairman of
Alaska’s Republican Party. [Anchorage Daily News, 1/27/06]
• As ‘Ethics Supervisor,’ Palin Failed to Respond to Warnings and Complaints Regarding
GOP Chairman, Randy Ruedrich. For months before she took any action, Palin received many
complaints from “staff, a fellow commissioner, and from the public.” Palin and Ruedrich were
appointed to the Alaskan Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by Governor Murkowski, and
she overlooked Ruedrich’s ethical shortcomings for months before taking any action. [Anchorage
Daily News, 9/22/04]
• Palin Claimed She Had No “Political Motivation” Shortly Before She Declared Candidacy
for Governor. Palin dismissed claims that she was politically motivated when she criticized the
Governor Murkowski’s decision with ethics law violator, and GOP Chair Randy Ruedrich. Palin
because she is just a “Hockey mom.” However, months later she declared she would run for
Governor, in a race against Murkowski. [Anchorage Daily News, 12/17/04]
• Palin Was Aware of Ruedrich’s Conflict of Interest Long Before She Felt Complelled to
Disclose It. The day Randy Ruedrich was appointed to the Alaskan Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission, Alaskan Democrats “charged that Ruedrich should step down as chairman of the
Republican Party of Alaska to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.” Minority Leader
Ethan Berkowitz said, “I perceive a conflict of interest, 17 other members of the Legislature
perceive a conflict of interest, there is clearly a perceived conflict of interest.” [AP, 3/4/03]
Palin Signed Letter Urging AG to Find Outside Investigator to Look Into His Ethics Scandals. In
2004, Palin and Rep. Eric Croft, D-Anchorage sent a letter to Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes
urging him to “follow the law” by referring his ethics investigation to the state personnel board in
accordance with the Executive Branch Ethics Act. The ethics scandal involved an investigation of Renkes
over conflict-of-interest allegations concerning a coal deal the state signed with Taiwan in September is
inadequate. That’s because the outside counsel was hired by Renkes’ confidant, Gov. Frank Murkowski,
which compromises the investigator’s ability to expand the probe to include the governor and could affect
his ability to aggressively pursue facts, Palin and Croft said. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK), 12/12/04]
Palin Alleged She Had Seen Ruedrich Using His Office Phone and Printer for Party Business.
“Former oil and gas commissioner Sarah Palin, who brought the allegations forward, also told
investigators she saw Ruedrich using his office phone and printer for party business.” [Fairbanks Daily News-
Miner (AK), 4/26/04]
Palin Criticized Murkowski Using State Funds to Create a Mailpiece to Promote His Gas Pipeline.
In 2006, when Governor Murkowski spent $107,000 in state funds producing and distributing a brochure
promoting his proposed gas pipeline contract, Palin said, “When I received this glossy, 14-page very
nicely done (public relations) piece with the governor’s picture and signature on it, I just assumed it was a
campaign piece.” Palin added, “I think most Alaskans will assume the same thing.” [Anchorage Daily News
(Alaska), 7/1/06]

16092008

DeMo(22:24:16) :

Cynthia, TX (20:38:04) :

Enjay aka Turbine Yukon (20:26:56) :

He is proposing to take the rate back to 39% where it was when Clinton was in office. I don’t recall that many people flipping about the capital gains tax.

I would say for most Americans this is not going to be much of an issue if they don’t have any money to save.
********************************************************************************

ABC News’ Teddy Davis, Arnab Datta, and Rigel Anderson Report: Sen. Barack Obama’s, D-Ill., top economic advisors announced on Thursday that he is seeking to raise the capital gains tax rate from 15 percent to 20 percent for those Americans making more than $250,000 per year.

“The top capital-gains rate for families making more than $250,000 would return to 20% — the lowest rate that existed in the 1990s and the rate President Bush proposed in his 2001 tax cut. A 20% rate is almost a third lower than the rate President Reagan set in 1986,” wrote Obama advisors Jason Furman and Austan Goolsbee in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal.
Source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/obama-clarifies.html

16092008

BigSlick(22:26:18) :

Cronyism
Critics Complained That Palin’s Hiring of Public Works Director Was a Political Reward.
Frontiersman columnist Paul Stuart wrote, “Some local political observers in Wasilla are complaining
Mayor Sarah Palin’s recent appointment of Cindy Roberts to the $55,000-a-year post of public works
director was nothing but a political reward. They maintain Roberts has no engineering training and no
work experience to make up for the deficit. Admitting Roberts has no engineering expertise, Palin said the
city will contract out engineering services. But the Wasilla mayor says Roberts’ management experience
in the public and private sector made her rise above other candidates.” [Frontiersman, 9/24/97]
Wasilla Replaced City Attorney of 13 Years With Attorney for Alaska Republican Party. “The
Wasilla City Council replaced Richard Deuser, Wasilla’s attorney for 13 years, with an Anchorage
attorney last week. The council voted 5-1 Sept. 8 to award the city’s legal services contract to Ken
Jacobus, an attorney specializing in municipal law who also serves as general counsel for the Alaska
Republican Party.” [Frontiersman, 9/17/97]
Frontiersman Editorial Wrote Mayor’s Cronies May Be Running City Hall. A Frontiersman editorial
wrote, “We find it interesting that political cronies of the mayor may be tacitly running city hall or trying
to make staffing decisions.” [Frontiersman editorial, 3/7/97]
Frontiersman Editorial Criticized Cronyism and Political Maneuvering in City Hall. A Frontiersman
editorial wrote, “Palin promised to change the status quo, but at every turn we find hints of cronyism and
political maneuvering. We see a woman who has long-since surrendered her ideals to a political
machine.” [Frontiersman editorial, 2/7/97]
Palin Said She Would Only Support Annexations If the Majority of the People in the Area
Supported the Annexations. The Frontiersman wrote, “Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin wants any proposals
for expansion of the city through annexation to come from the public. And Palin said she will only
support annexations where a majority of residents in an area favor the move. Palin wants the city council
to make that a formal policy. ‘The bottom line is that we don’t want forced annexations,’ Palin said.” The
Frontiersman added, “Palin said Tuesday that she has never backed forced annexations and voted against
the city’s 1995 annexation of an 83 acre parcel along the Wasilla Lake shoreline.” [Frontiersman, 12/11/96]
• Palin Was Accused by Councilman of Changing Position on Annexation After Receiving
Contributions. The Frontiersman reported that “[Councilman] Carney said Palin’s political
supporters might have helped change her mind on the annexation, adding that Palin received
campaign contributions from several business owners outside the city limits. The business owners
didn’t want to join the city, citing the sales tax as a disadvantage for their businesses, Carney said.
‘No, that’s not true,’ Palin said Monday of Carney’s allegations. ‘That was never a
consideration.’” [Frontiersman, 9/30/92]

16092008

BigSlick(22:28:52) :

Lying
Palin Discontinued Liquor Task Force—Then Denied She Had Until She Was Confronted. In 1996,
the Frontiersman reported that Wasilla’s “Liquor Task Force was dissolved by Mayor Sarah Palin on Oct.
17—three days after she took office.” When asked, Palin said she was not aware the group was not still
meeting, but, according to the Frontiersman, the outreach coordinator said that “on Thursday, Oct. 17,
Mug-Shot Saloon owner Ted Anderson informed the group the task force would not be meeting
again…Wasilla Police Chief Irl Stambaugh said Wednesday he specifically recalled Palin telling him in a
conversation in her office on Oct. 17 that the task force would not be meeting anymore.” The
Frontiersman added, “Confronted with these conflicting stories Wednesday afternoon, Palin dropped the
denials she had made earlier in the day. ‘When the (Wasilla City) council, the borough and the City of
Palmer voted on the bar closure issue, the question was answered on bar closures,’ Palin stated. ‘What
came to mind then was whether there was a need for continuation of the task force.’” [Frontiersman,
12/13/96]
Palin Exaggerated Work Experience for Mayoral Campaign. In 1997, Frontiersman columnist Paul
Stuart wrote that after Palin had criticized her opponent for using City Hal resources for political gain,
“when Palin was asked back then (by me) why the lodge where she claimed, in her campaign, to have
gained her management experience, had no record of a borough business license or of paying any bed tax,
she paused and said it might have been because the place had no clients for a year or so.” In an article
describing the possibility of recalling Palin, the Frontiersman wrote the “reasons include Palin’s alleged
falsification of her credentials during the campaign last fall.” [Frontiersman, 1/22/97, 2/5/97]
Frontiersman Editorial Said Palin Made Statements That Were “Patently Untrue,” Said She Had
Shown “Unrepentant Backpedaling and Incessant Whining.” A Frontiersman editorial wrote,
“Wasilla residents have been subjected to attempts to unlawfully appoint council members, statements
that have been shown to be patently untrue, unrepentant backpedaling, and incessant whining that her
only enemies are the press and a few disgruntled supporters of former Mayor John Stein.” [Frontiersman
editorial, 2/7/97]
Frontiersman Editorial: Palin Doesn’t Grasp the Truth. A Frontiersman editorial wrote, “Mayor Palin
fails to have a firm grasp of something very simple: the truth.” [Frontiersman editorial, 2/7/97]

16092008

BigSlick(22:30:56) :

Used Public Funds For Political Gain
Palin Emphasized Trust and Transparency in State Government. At a campaign event, Palin stated,
“I’m running for governor because Alaskans deserve trust and transparency in your state government.”
When addressing a group of supporters, she also said, “Every governor should have been a city mayor.
You can’t get away with anything in local government.” A month later, Palin said, “Regardless of the
rules, I will show the leadership to ensure that the rules are followed.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 6/22/06;
AP, 7/28/06]
• As Mayor, Palin Used City Resources For Her 2002 Lt. Governor Campaign. In her 2002 Lt.
Governor bid, Mayor Palin used city employees, telephones, computers, fax machines for
campaign fundraising and literature. On her candidate registration form, she used her City Hall
fax number, and her mayoral e-mail address. Records show that Wasilla city property was used to
contact supporters, donors, media contacts, and media purchasing. [Anchorage Daily News, 7/21/06]
• Palin Held Campaign Meetings In City Hall. On June 12, 2002, during her failed 2002 Lt.
Governor campaign, Palin met with Herold Advertising Products, a political advertising firm, to
discuss campaign literature. “The firm then faxed a draft of artwork for labels with a “Sarah Palin
Lieutenant Governor” logo addressed to then-deputy administrator John Cramer at the city.The
following morning, the firm faxed an invoice for the labels to the city.” [Anchorage Daily News,
7/28/06]
• Palin Said Accusations Of Unethical Political Action Are Nothing More Than “Smear”
Campaigns From Her Enemies. When questioned why her use of a city computer to run for
lieutenant governor in 2002 was different than Randy Ruedrich using AOGCC computers for
party business was different, Palin said it was different. Though Ruedrich was fined and resigned
from office because of Palin’s accusation ethics violations, Palin stated that accusations against
her were a “smear” campaign organized by her “enemies.” [Anchorage Daily News, 7/14/06]
• Documents Show While Mayor Palin Had Thank You Notes to Campaign Donors Printed by
Her Assistant on City Time and Arranged Campaign Travel from Her Office. “The Voice of
the Times, a separate editorial section within the opinion pages of the Daily News, made the
original public records request that produced many of the documents that Murkowski’s campaign
handed out Thursday, including a stack of telephone records, e-mails — such as a campaign note
from her mayor e-mail address to Ruedrich — and invoices from Wasilla city hall. The documents
appear to show, for example, that on one occasion Palin arranged campaign travel from the
mayor’s office. On another, her city administrative assistant printed thank-you notes to campaign
donors. The administrative assistant, Mary Bixby, said in brief interview with the Daily News in
late July that she was directed to perform those tasks while on the clock for the city.” For any
mistakes she did make, Palin said, “I apologize.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 8/18/06]
• Palin’s Ethics Problems: She Had Campaign Literature Faxed to Her City Hall Office.
“According to the records, Palin met with advertising firm Herold Advertising Products at city hall
on June 12, 2002. The firm then faxed a draft of artwork for labels with a ‘Sarah Palin Lieutenant
Governor’ logo addressed to then-deputy administrator John Cramer at the city. The following
morning, the firm faxed an invoice for the labels to the city. Palin said that was the result of a
saleswoman seeking her out at the mayor’s office, and that she hadn’t requested either fax. The
search also turned up an itinerary for a campaign trip to Ketchikan in May 2002. The stack of
public records provided by the city includes a memo saying the administrative assistant, Mary
Bixby, worked on the itinerary and plane reservations for the trip.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska),
7/28/06]
Palin Accused Murkowski’s Office Of Pressuring the State Personnel Board To Say that
Murkowski Had Not Violated Ethics Laws. “Palin on Friday again criticized the governor’s initial
response to the Renkes revelations and said she suspected that someone in the governor’s office pressured
the [state personnel] board to say explicitly that Murkowski had not violated ethics act procedures.”
[Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 3/12/05]
Palin Declined to Appear in Ads for A Candidate Because He Had Not Paid His Property Taxes. In
2004, it came to light that Republican Rep. Vic Kohring’s owed the borough $2,277 in unpaid property
taxes on property he owns off Knik-Goose Bay Road, according to borough records. “That bothered
former Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin enough that she declined a campaign request to do a pro-Kohring TV
commercial. As a former mayor, Palin said, it made her uncomfortable to back someone with unpaid taxes
when the city relies on property taxes.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 10/28/04]
Public Records Requests in Wasilla Included Phone and Email Records. The public records changes
have been in the works for months, Smithers said, but got a higher priority after a deluge of public records
requests came in to city offices this summer. Smithers said the city generally gets about one request for
public records each month. But since mid-June it has received 11 records requests, she said. Ten of those
requests were related to former mayor Sarah Palin’s administration. Those came from various media
outlets including Channel 2, the Daily News and Voice of the Times. Republican Party District 15
chairman Roy Burkhart and Palin’s former city administrator John Cramer also requested e-mail and
telephone records and other communication from Palin’s office between 2001 and 2002 when Palin ran
for lieutenant governor. [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 8/9/06]

16092008

arkangel3(22:31:26) :

Hamlets…all those ads on that link are legit. The first ad they had to remove because Katie Couric’s piece was taken from something completely different and out of context. It was removed from TV, but it’s still allowed on the web.

16092008

BigSlick(22:31:54) :

Special Interests
Palin Claimed to Value Rural Alaskans, but Refused to Tax Big Oil Companies. In 2004, Palin told
reporters that, “I think it’s important the voice that reflects the rural and Native concerns is also heard.” In
early 2006, Palin told a group of Democrats that rural Alaskans are facing hardships, and are being forced
to rely on government subsidies – adding more strain on Alaska’s already tight budget. Yet when when
asked about increasing state revenue by taxing big oil corporations, Palin stated that, “Inherently, I have
such a problem with taxes.” [CQ Weekly, 8/27/04; Anchorage Daily News, 1/27/06; Fairbanks Daily News-Miner,
6/22/06]
Palin Opposed Taxing Oil Companies on Their Oil Reserves While Being Supported by the Alaska
Gasline Port Authority. When asked by fellow Gubernatorial Candidate, Eric Croft (D), Palin refused
to support the initiative to tax oil companies on their gas reserves. Palin stated that, “Inherently, I have
such a problem with taxes.” Meanwhile, the Executive Administrator of the Alaska Gasoline Port
Authority volunteered on Palin’s Campaign and Jim Whitaker,the group’s chairman, hosted a fundraiser
for Palin at his North Star Borough home. [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 6/22/06]
Palin Opposed Taxing Oil Companies As Her Husband Was Employed by BP. Palin stated that,
“Inherently, I have such a problem with taxes,” when referring to taxing Corporate Oil Companies. Palin
disclosed that her husband is currently a BP Employee working on the North Slope. [Fairbanks Daily News-
Miner, 6/22/06; Associated Press, 9/22/04]
• Former Governor Hickel, Disagreed with Palin Over Taxing Oil Companies; Supported
Croft Bill. Two term Alaskan Governor, Walter J. Hickel, voiced support for Eric Croft’s bill
what would tax big oil corporations for delaying development of natural gas. Hickel stated, “[…]
if you keep what may be over $1 trillion worth of someone else’s resources off the market for the
benefit of yourself and your stockholders, you must pay a price.” In a press release, Palin referred
to Hickel as “Alaska’s esteemed Statesman.” [Anchorage Daily News, 1/12/06; Fairbanks Daily News-
Miner, 7/1/06]
• Former Alaska Governor Endorsed Palin in 2006. Alaska’s second Governor, Walter J.
Hickel, endorsed Gubernatorial Candidate Sarah Palin to be Alaska’s governor. “She’s a very
straightforward woman, talks very plainly, and she understands the problems of Alaska,” Hickel
said, “And she’s never going to sell Alaska out.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 7/1/06]

16092008

BigSlick(22:34:42) :

Creating Bureaucracy
Palin Began Annual Lobbying Trips to Washington for Wasilla City Government—to Lobby
Alaskan Members of Congress. “Yearly lobbying trips began in 2000 under Mayor Sarah Palin. Trips to
the national capital were not about hobnobbing, although a quick greeting with the Alaska delegation was
scheduled if possible, Palin said Thursday. ‘It was about being face to face with those who were actually
writing the budget,’ Palin said, referring to Stevens’, Murkowski’s and Young’s staffs.” [Anchorage Daily
News (Alaska), 2/1/06]
Palin Hired A Congressional Lobbyist, Who the City Paid $40,000 A Year. “Congressional lobbyist
Steve Silver was hired under Palin’s administration and is in his sixth year as a Wasilla lobbyist. He also
lobbies on behalf of several other Alaska governmental bodies. Wasilla pays $40,500 for Silver’s 12-
month contract, plus $2,000 each year for travel, meals and expenses. Giddings and Palin characterized
Silver’s job as promoting the projects and keeping track of them while city leaders do business back
home.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 2/1/06]
Frontiersman Editorial Decried Palin’s Institution of More Government Bureaucracy. A
Frontiersman editorial wrote, “We still don’t understand how someone can be claiming to keep her
campaign promises when she pooh-poohed the complexities of city government, then hired a deputy city
administrator to help her.” [Frontiersman editorial, 3/7/97]
Despite Saying She Wanted to Lower It, Palin’s Salary Stayed the Same. “The mayor’s wage was
increased from $64,000 to $68,000 in 1996, just before Sarah Palin was elected…Palin has continued to
lobby the council to reduce the salary.” Palin said, “I voted against it when I was a council member and I
felt like a hypocrite when I came in and had to accept it.” In the end, the council voted to keep the salary
at $68,000. [Frontiersman, 3/5/99, 3/12/99]
Palin Was Criticized for Hiring City Administrator. The Frontiersman wrote, “[Palin] has been
criticized by city council members and the public for hiring a new city administrator, backing proposals to
move historical buildings and choosing to ignore council resolutions made before her election.”
[Frontiersman, 1/10/97]
• Palin Was Criticized for Hiring City Administrator. In 1996, the Frontiersman reported that
Councilman Carney was “especially concerned when he sees the city paying new administrators
hired to do the job Palin was elected in October to do, he said.” [Frontiersman, 9/30/92] THIS DATE
IS WRONG
• Palin Appointed Deputy Administrator Position, Which the City Had Done Without for A
Year and a Half. “Palin appointed Cramer to fill a deputy administrator position Monday, which
has been vacant since the resignation of Lee Wyatt from that position a year and a half ago.” After
hiring him, Palin had to find the money elsewhere in the budget, as the $51,000 position had not
been budgeted. [Frontiersman, 10/23/96, 11/6/96]
Palin Called for Management Audit. The Frontiersman wrote, “In the quest to ensure city hall stays
efficient and productive, Palin wants the city to undergo a management audit, in which the city
departments, employees and policies are reviewed.” [Frontiersman, 1/10/97]
Palin Mayoral ad: “Vote for Conservative, More Efficient Government.” [Frontiersman, 9/27/96]

16092008

BigSlick(22:35:44) :

Vindictive, Firing
Palin Fired the Police Chief and the Library Director—Then Said She Did Not Fire Them But Sent
Them “Intent to Terminate” Letters. In 1997, Palin fired Police Chief Irl Stambaugh and Library
Director Mary Ellen Emmons. The Frontiersman wrote, “After news of the of the dismissals broke
Thursday night, Palin said she never meant to fire Stambaugh and Emmons. ‘It was an intent to terminate
letter to discuss my intent to terminate them or for them to submit resignations.’” Palin wrote in her letter,
“I do not feel I have your full support in my efforts to govern the city of Wasilla.” [Frontiersman, 2/5/97]
• Palin Rehired Library Director after Cementing Her Support. The Frontiersman wrote, “Palin
said she cemented Emmons’ support Friday afternoon for her new plan to join the library and
museum departments and felt like she could continue to work with Emmons. Her plan will create
more efficiency within the departments, Palin said, making better use of the public’s money.”
[Frontiersman, 2/5/97]
Council Member Pushed To Create City Manager Because He Said Palin Did Not Have Skills to
Run Wasilla. In 1997, a councilman made a push to create a city manager position in Wasilla. The
Frontiersman reported, “Wasilla voters may get the chance to transform the city to the city manager form
of government under a proposal by Wasilla councilman Nick Carney…He said he thinks Palin does not
have the management skills to run the City of Wasilla.” [Frontiersman, 2/21/97]
Palin Cut Budget at Wasilla Museum, Causing the Anchorage DN to Wrote That Some Said the
Museum Was the Latest Example “Of Cutting Government at the Expense of Community.” In
1997, faced with budget cuts, the entire staff of Wasilla’s city museum quit, causing an uproar. “I think
everybody was in agreement there were ways to make the museum more efficient, to spend taxpayers’
dollars wiser over there,” Mayor Sarah Palin said. The museum, which had an annual budget of more than
$ 200,000, was costing roughly $ 25 per visitor, she said. Besides, she added, “if you talk to someone in
Wasilla (about) where they want their tax dollars to go, nine out of 10 say, ‘Fix my road. I still don’t have
water in my area. And protect our lakes with a sewer system.’” The Anchorage Daily News wrote, “That
philosophy, supported by Palin and many City Council members, has been debated in the town since the
mayor took office last fall. Some say the museum is just the latest example of cutting government at the
expense of the community. The women are only the latest to leave the city payroll, noted John Cooper,
who was the museum’s director until Palin fired him last fall.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 8/6/97]
Palin Said She Didn’t Fire Police Chief Because He Supported Her Opponent, But When He Sued,
a Judge Ruled It Would Be Allowed If She Had. “Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin says she didn’t fire Police
Chief Irl Stambaugh three years ago because he supported her election opponent John Stein. But even if it
was the reason, she was within her rights to give the police chief the boot, a federal judge ruled. The
police chief serves at the discretion of the mayor, and can be terminated for nearly any reason, even a
political one, U.S. District Court Judge James K. Singleton ruled in dismissing most of Stambaugh’s
claims against the city. ‘Palin’s lack of confidence in Stambaugh’s loyalty to her and her policies for
Wasilla provided sufficient justification for her actions . . .,’ he wrote in.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska),
3/1/00]
Palin Said It Was No Secret That Police Chief Wasn’t Happy With Her Election. “Stambaugh’s
support of Stein against him, she said in an interview Tuesday. But getting basic information from him
about the department was difficult, she said. ‘It was no secret to anybody in Wasilla that he wasn’t happy
to see a change in the mayor’s seat,’ she said. Stambaugh sued, accusing her of contract violation,
wrongful termination and gender discrimination. He said his contract forbade his being terminated
without cause. Among other claims, he said she fired him, in part, for being a man. His 200 pounds and 6-
foot-plus frame intimidated the mayor, he said.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 3/1/00]
Palin Fired Police Chief, Museum Director, Planning Director and Public Works Directors Quit. In
addition to Wasilla Museum director John Cooper, Wasilla Police Chief Irl Stambaugh “left last winter
after Palin fired him, and planning director Duane Dvorak and Public Works director John Felton turned
in their resignations this summer.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 8/6/97]
Palin Hired New Police Chief, Who Boasted that He Had No Interest in Limiting Bar Hours, Saying
The Answer to Crime was Not to Restrict Freedom. “Wasilla got a new police chief Thursday, one
who said he will bring to the job a philosophy of personal freedom that doesn’t include his predecessor’s
support of limiting bar hours. ‘I have a philosophy that every time there’s a new law or new ordinance we
lose a little more of our freedom,’ Duwayne ‘Charlie’ Fannon told City Council members shortly before
they voted unanimously to confirm his nomination. ‘I don’t think the answer to crime is restricting
people’s freedom more and more.’ Fannon, 45, currently heads the Haines Police Department. He will
take over a department more than twice the size of the one he currently manages, in a town nearly three
times the size. The Wasilla department has 11 officers and a budget of $ 1.3 million.” [Anchorage Daily
News, 3/28/97]
Palin Fired Police Chief Because She Said He Did Not Support Her, He Sued Saying she Did It
Because the NRA Told Her To and Because of Gender Discrimination. “Fannon is replacing Irl
Stambaugh, whom the mayor fired in January. Palin said she did not think Stambaugh supported her
administration. Stambaugh has sued the city, alleging Palin fired him because local bar owners and the
National Rifle Association asked the mayor to do so. Stambaugh wanted the city to adopt earlier bar
closings as a way to combat alcohol-related traffic accidents, according to the complaint.” The complaint
also accused “Palin of contract violation, wrongful termination and gender discrimination. Stambaugh is
seeking more than $ 500,000 in damages.” Stambaugh had headed the police department since it was
created in 1993. Before that, he served 22 years with the Anchorage Police Department rising to the rank
of captain before retiring. [Anchorage Daily News, 1/31/97, 3/1/97, 3/28/97]
Palin Fired Librarian for Not Supporting Her, Later Rehired Her After Assurances of Support. In
1997, Palin fired the Wasilla city librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons. Palin delivered a letter to Emmons and
the police chief saying, ‘‘I do not feel I have your full support in my efforts to govern the city of Wasilla.
Therefore I intend to terminate your employment.” Palin later said she had received assurances from
Emmons that she had her support. The Anchorage Daily News wrote, “Palin said she asked Emmons if
she would support efforts to merge the library and museum operations. Emmons said she would,
according to Palin.” Emmons had been the city’s library director for seven years. [Anchorage Daily News,
1/31/97, 2/1/97]
Palin Threatened the City Council to Install Her Own Picks for Open Seats if They Did Not Resolve
a Deadlock. “Palin has encountered controversy from the start, beginning with Cooper, who at first
refused to resign. She then tangled with the City Council, threatening to install her own picks for two
open seats if the council couldn’t resolve a deadlock.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 10/26/96]
Palin Ordered that Department Heads Get Permission from Her Before Talking to the Press,
Which a Paper Called a “Gag Order. “She’s also been criticized by the local semiweekly newspaper
for a new policy requiring department heads to get the mayor’s approval before talking to reporters. An
editorial in The Frontiersman labeled it a ‘gag order.’ Palin said it’s a temporary rule to smooth the way
until department heads have a better sense of the administration’s policies.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska),
10/26/96]
Wasilla’s Entire Museum Staff Quit. “The entire staff at Wasilla’s Dorothy Page Museum turned in
retirement papers Tuesday, saying they would rather quit than continue working for a city that didn’t care
about working for a city that didn’t care about preserving its historical past.” [Frontiersman, 8/1/97]
Frontiersman editorial headline: “City treats staff poorly” [Frontiersman, 8/1/97]
Frontiersman Editorial: Palin Failed In a Blatant Attempt to Confuse and Circumvent the Law.
The Frontiersman wrote in an editorial, “Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin failed in a blatant attempt to confuse
and circumvent the law Monday night in order to pack the city council with candidates favored by her and
her supporters on the council.” [Frontiersman, 10/23/96]
Frontiersman Editorial: Palin Had “Either Little Understanding or Little Regard” for the City’s
Laws. The Frontiersman wrote in an editorial, “Wasilla found out it has a new mayor with either little
understanding or little regard for the city’s own laws. Hopefully she will enhance her understanding of the
city statutes.” [Frontiersman, 10/23/96]
After Becoming Mayor, Palin Instituted Gag Order for the City’s Top Employees. Two weeks after
becoming mayor, Palin instituted a gag order on talking to the media for the city’s top employees. Palin
denied it was a gag order saying “The department heads appreciated not having to talk to the media.”
[Frontiersman, 10/25/96, 10/30/96]
Palin Asked for Letters of Resignation from City Planner, Finance Director, Library Director,
Police Chief, Museum and City Works and Public Works Directors. “Last Thursday Palin asked City
Planner Duane Dvorak, Finance Director Erling Nelson, Library Director Mary Ellen Emmons, Police
Chief Irls Stambaugh and public works director Jack Felton to submit their letter of resignation, a resume
and a letter to explain why they should be retained.” The Frontiersman added, “She asked museum and
recreational services director John Cooper to resign Oct. 14, her first official day in office. After initially
refusing, Cooper agreed to the resignation. He has declined to comment on the matter. A week later she
hired John Cramer to fill the long-vacant position of deputy administrator.” [Frontiersman, 10/30/96]
Palin Supporter Began Encouraging Others to Apply for Police Chief Job—Two Days Before Palin
Actually Fired Him. “At least two days before Mayor Sarah Palin fired Wasilla Police Chief Irl
Stambaugh, one of Palin’s supporters was encouraging a former Valley man to apply for Stambaugh’s
job. Retired Valdez Police Chief Bert Cottle rejected the idea. Cottle, 43, is the nephew of Valley
residents Rod Cottle and Colleen Cottle. Colleen Cottle is a former Wasilla City Council member and
staunch Palin supporter. Bert Cottle received the proposal at least two days before Stambaugh’s dismissal
from another Palin supporter—Wasilla businessman Don Tanner. Tanner confirmed he asked Cottle to
apply for the post. But Tanner also said he spoke to a number of other people about applying.”
[Frontiersman, 2/14/97]
Headline: “Palin may face recall” [Frontiersman, 2/5/97]
Editorial Headline: “Mayor’s Lost Credibility” [Frontiersman, 2/7/97]
Frontiersman Editorial: Palin Assumed Her Election Was a Coronation. A Frontiersman editorial
wrote, “Palin seems to have assumed her election was instead a coronation. Welcome to Kingdom Palin,
the land of no accountability.” [Frontiersman editorial, 2/7/97]
Frontiersman Columnist: First Few Weeks of “Palin’s Reign” Nobody Knew Who Might Get Fired,
What Other Actions Might be Taken. In 1997, Frontiersman columnist Paul Stuart wrote, “Actually it’s
been kind of quiet [in Wasilla] compared to the early weeks of Palin’s reign—when nobody could keep
track of which department heads would or wouldn’t be fired. Or where historical buildings might end up
located. For a few weeks, the department heads couldn’t talk to the press. Then there was the prospect of
censorship in the library. The death of the Liquor Task Force at Palin’s hands. A half to annexation moves
in progress, etc.” [Frontiersman, 1/22/97]
Headline: “Palin ax falls in Wasilla” [Frontiersman, 2/5/97]
Police Chief Palin Fired Was Born and Raised in Alaska, Served in Vietnam. “Stambaugh, born and
raised in Southeast Alaska, served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969. He became and Anchorage Police officer
in 1971, moving up in the ranks and making captain of the patrol division before retiring to take the
Wasilla chief’s job. Stambaugh was hired in January 1993 and had nine officers ready for duty in June of
that year.” [Frontiersman, 2/5/97]
Candidate for Police Chief Withdrew His Name Because Position Seemed Too Political. In 1997, the
Frontiersman wrote, “One finalist for the Wasilla Police Department chief position has withdrawn his
application, citing personal reasons and because he said it looked more like a political appointment than a
law enforcement decision.” Kevin Clayton, director of the department of public safety in Cordova, said,
“[Wasilla Deputy Administrator] Cramer made it perfectly clear that there will be another election in a
few years and that my job could be in jeopardy.” [Frontiersman, 3/19/97]
A Group Briefly Considered a Recall of Palin When She Became Mayor. “Palin, who was on the City
Council before being elected mayor, acknowledges she got off to a rocky start in her first term, including
facing a group called Concerned Citizens for Wasilla that briefly considered mounting a recall. But she
said she needed to make changes to move ahead.” [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 9/20/99]
When Confronted With Critical Editorials From the Frontiersman, Palin Produced the Current
Publisher, Who Said She Had Been a “Great Mayor.” “Binkley followed with a commercial quoting a
scathing editorial about Palin — accusing her of being a lousy mayor — published nine years ago in her
hometown newspaper, the Frontiersman. Palin dismissed the attack and quoted the paper’s current
publisher saying she was a “great mayor.”“ [Anchorage Daily News (Alaska), 8/18/06]
Palin Asked for the Resignation of the Museum and Recreational Services Director, But He
Refused. “Wasilla Mayor Sarah Palin asked for the resignation of Museum and Recreational Services
Director John Cooper Monday at city hall. ‘In an effort to restructure and reprioritize the department and
the funds, I asked for his resignation,’ Palin said.” Cooper, a five-year employee of the city, refused to
resign. [Frontiersman, 10/16/96]
Editorial Headline: “Wasilla Mayor Gets a Lesson” [Frontiersman, 10/23/96]
Palin Proposed Moving City Museum and Cutting Hours. In 1996, Palin proposed a plan to the city
council to cut city museum hours and move the city’s museum buildings to new locations. The
Frontiersman later reported “After hearing from a handful of upset residents, the city council voted
Wednesday not to pursue moving several historical structures from the 1917 Wasilla town site to the old
airport site.” [Frontiersman, 11/8/96, 11/15/96]
Two City Administrators Quit, Leaving Only Two of the Six Department Heads When Palin
Became Mayor Eight Months Earlier. In 1997, the Frontiersman wrote, “Two Wasilla administrators
have quit, leaving only two of the original six department heads who were city hall employees when
Mayor Sarah Palin was elected. City Planner Duane Dvorak resigned last week and Public Works
Director Jack Felton resigned Monday afternoon.” [Frontiersman, 6/11/97]
Wasilla Businessman Said He Would Leave the City After Being Treated So Poorly By the City
After City Sewer Backup. In 1997, Wasilla jewelry maker Randy Zimin said the city refused to
reimburse him for losses when the city sewer backed up and flooded his home. Zimin said the interruption
caused a loss of $12,000 in income and asked for $3,400 in lost wages, which the city refused to give him.
Zimin said that after the lack of responsiveness from city hall, he was ready to sell his house and leave
Wasilla. [Frontiersman, 7/4/97]

Can’t Handle Criticism
Frontiersman Editorial: Palin Blamed Everyone But Herself. A Frontiersman editorial wrote, “The
mayor’s administration has been one of contradiction, controversy and discord. While she will blame
everyone but herself, we see mostly Sarah at the center of the problem.” [Frontiersman editorial, 2/7/97]
Critical Group Called on Palin to Meet with Them, She Said they Could Fax the Questions. In 1997,
a Wasilla group called Concerned Citizens asked Palin to appear before them to answer questions, but the
Frontiersman wrote, “she doesn’t intend to face the hostile group to answer their questions.” Her deputy
administrator said that the group could fax the questions and she would answer them then. [Frontiersman,
3/5/97]
Frontiersman Editorial Slammed Palin For Not Tolerating Dissent. A Frontiersman editorial wrote,
“Wasilla is led by a woman who will tolerate no one who questions her actions or her authority.”
[Frontiersman editorial, 3/7/97]
Frontiersman Editorial: Palin Philosophy Is People Are Either With Her or Against Her. A
Frontiersman editorial wrote, “Palin continues to lose public faith sticking by her philosophy that either
we are with her or against her.” [Frontiersman editorial, 3/7/97]

16092008

BigSlick(22:51:07) :

Palin Supporter Began Encouraging Others to Apply for Police Chief Job—Two Days Before Palin
Actually Fired Him. “At least two days before Mayor Sarah Palin fired Wasilla Police Chief Irl
Stambaugh, one of Palin’s supporters was encouraging a former Valley man to apply for Stambaugh’s
job. Retired Valdez Police Chief Bert Cottle rejected the idea. Cottle, 43, is the nephew of Valley
residents Rod Cottle and Colleen Cottle. Colleen Cottle is a former Wasilla City Council member and
staunch Palin supporter. Bert Cottle received the proposal at least two days before Stambaugh’s dismissal
from another Palin supporter—Wasilla businessman Don Tanner. Tanner confirmed he asked Cottle to
apply for the post. But Tanner also said he spoke to a number of other people about applying.”
[Frontiersman, 2/14/97]

Yes, I am totally still idealistic. I am a 56 year old woman, registered Republican Christian, who had planned on sitting out this election. Then I heard Obama speak. He woke up a part of me I thought was long gone…The idealistic part.

After much investigation, I decided to vote for Obama. Then I discovered TPM (a blog site) and have become completely involved in this election. After McCain’s stunt in selecting Palin for his running mate, I changed my affiliation to Democrat. I am contributing financially, and shortly after my grandbaby arrives (any day now) my husband and I plan to go to Ohio (we live in CA – total blue state) and work for Obama for a couple of weeks.

I am so appalled by McCain’s disregard for this country that I am literally in fear for it. I mean no offense by saying that the very idea that your Gov. could be our President scares me to death.

But I have hope that Americans will wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late…

16092008

SMR(23:23:24) :

@stillidealistic:

what a great thing that you & your husband are doing. I have been giving that some thought too. I have relatives in PA & NY (no idea where they stand on this stuff, though), wondering if I can make a difference there… Of course the main thing (apart from having to take my toddler with me & leave my teen here & my husband is leaving town so couldn’t go with me…) is that I hate to give up on Alaska. I have hopes & dreams for this place, dreams that the open-minded democrats can assert themselves and reclaim our state from the scary people!

When we moved away several years ago (overseas) I was soooo fed up with the politics of this state, the uneducated knee-jerk voters. It was my number one complaint about Alaska, all of the incredibly small minds outnumbering the rational people. But back then I think there was a collective apathy among democrats that doesn’t exist here now. Today people here are either so pissed off about Sarah Palin that they’re becoming politically aware & active, or (sadly) they are the icky people who think she’s being picked on and those ones are becoming verbally active! But, joy of joys, I have this small glimmer of hope in my heart, that this is the time when the republicans have become complacent in our state and there will be an uprising of intelligent, liberal, CONCERNED voters who can lead this state to a Obama/Biden victory.

When I go out & do something to effect positive change — the rally, door-to-door, write postcards, talk to neighbors/friends — I feel so great about people & our country. Because even if I talk to more Repubs than Democrats, I am seeing that there is at least a little bit of hope, and some people are listening to me with open minds. You will see that too in Ohio.

I, too, am scared about the direction that this country is taking, and what it would mean if McShame is elected. But know in your heart that you have made history, that you have taken a stand, you are making a difference, standing up for something that you believe in strongly, and so no matter what the end result is — YOU have won. That is the only thing that keeps me going in this crazy state: I am backing Obama/Biden, I am doing everything that I can, I am standing up for what I believe in in the face of a state full of crazy religious conservative people that I cannot relate to in any way shape or form, and that means I’ve won, that when the votes are counted that I can look in the mirror and be proud of myself & all of the others fighting the good fight.

You will find a lot of peace & happiness working for Obama in Ohio. It will be good food for your soul.

xx

17092008

Hick Town in W PA(00:25:03) :

@ SMR
Sometimes the best thing we can do is push along the thing we know and help find the people who feel alone. I think there are many more people in Alaska who simply need encouragement. Neighbors talking to neighbors and friends with friends and expanding from there works the best.

@stillidealistic
Where are you going in Ohio?
One of the most fulfilling experiences I ever had was stomping for Eugene McCarthy in Nebraska when I was an undergrad at Washburn in Topeka. We hit the liitle towns of Crete and Beatrice and all the farms in between. I met people who had first voted for William Jennings Bryant and never missed an election. It was truly exciting, like walking through political history. Even people who wouldn’t vote for him pointed us to people who might.

[…] via AKMuckraker, we learn: But perhaps the most disturbing thing to Alaskans on a local level are the new tactics coming from […]

17092008

From England aka Spoon Archer Palin(03:08:42) :

@FiredUp AKA Falter Locust Palin (16:53:07) :

There are national rallies being talked of for every saturday at 1pm….I think Bwilder or Proud2B was organising on an earlier post.

17092008

bill(03:10:21) :

This move is a very shortsided one. If McCain loses the campaign, which I feel he will. She will have to answer for all of this. Remember that Watergate did not really involve the burglary. Watergate brought down nixon due to the cover up afterwards.

17092008

rachelbirds(04:47:41) :

She’s cooking her goose
in her own state — such bad form.
You must bring her down.

[[[So she cut the WIC program out completely? Was the Alaskan congress able to put WIC back in the budget? I know there was an article on HuffPo that mentioned the Alaskan legislators were able to get most of the cuts back into the budget…However—Just by vitrue of the fact she cut WIC she’s telling lower income familes just what she thinks of them..I’d love for those moms who are so convinced Palin is one of “them” to see how see how she treats moms and kiddos in need.]]]

That’s the page for Alaska’s budget for 2008. It is presented by category, department, etc.

Special Olympics final funding was $250,000.

There is no listing for WIC, so I am assuming it remained cut.

It is really interesting to go through the budget, item by item, and see where Palin’s priorities lie.

I’m not familiar with Alaska, but clearly there are some areas that just piss her off, and some issues that seem to almost make her angry…like WIC. There was such a small amount allocated, anyway. It would have cost each Alaskan pennies to keep it in. Why cut such an important program from State funding? It’s not even a good political move!

17092008

Cassie Jeep Pike Palin(07:15:22) :

AKM

Fantastical as all this seems, it was certainly predictable once SWWNBN agreed to the selection.

Deep inside, I knew that Alaskans would resent the interference of “Outsiders”, and was hopeful it would bring some of them forward with their stories.

Just look at the mess the WaRshington “operatives” are leaving your state to sort out!!

As for this “Outsider”, it’s enough for me to know that the McCain ticket is desperate to delay this investigation… I need no resolution in order to cast my vote in November. I want candidate who profess to be new and pristine to be just that. I don’t want them running from a darkening cloud that I’m told to ignore until after the election.

As for the good people that are getting mud-spattered for the convenience of the Republican Party, remember that it will wash off. Be thankful that your mud is on the outside, it doesn’t come from within.

17092008

Cassie Jeep Pike Palin(07:34:29) :

Re: Who can stop all these shenanigans?

I would guess that Ted Stevens is the only one who could. He’s not likely to do that unless ALASKANS, in a major voting block, let him know that they want this interference stopped.

Alaskans, start sending him emails. We “Outsiders”, while expressing out outrage here and at other open sites, need to show “defernce” to ALASKANS on this.

JD: I think you missed the point. McPalin is the perfect Republican vp candidate. She already knows how to lie, participate in cover-ups, flip flops, obfuscates, refuses to comply with subpoenas, stonewalls legislative investigations, covers up and lies about eaqrmarks, abuses her position of authority, misrepresents her record and when convenient, makes up any issue to support an otherwise rediculous position. She knowingly participates in croneyism and nepatism, and the list goes on and on… Even more frightening is that the US Constitution only provides two jobs for the vp. Be the President of the Senate and succeed the President in death. All you have to merely ask is which one do you think she is qualified for, if either. The answer is simple, neither. Your outline was absolutely “spot on”. I only hope that the Republican ticket loses and McPalin has to return home to “face the music.”

As life long Republicans, we find this duo completely embarrassing.

17092008

stillidealistic(08:30:48) :

Hick Town…

We are waiting until we see what happens w/ the grandbaby to make firm plans. She’s not due until the 23rd, and being a new mom, we need to see how she handles things. Her parents will be here for a week…If she has pretty much recovered and feels confident, we can leave…if not we need to stay. So, long story short, when we know when we can leave, we’ll contact the campaign and see where they need us.

Hear hear! But this is not only Republicans. Sheeple belong to BOTH parties, the Dems just listen to Airhead America instead of Hush Lobotomy.

17092008

ellen(13:15:27) :

interestingly Guiliani (sic) stated on Meet the Press that it was a group of Democrats in charge of the investigation of Troopergate. My BS radar went off as I could not imagine that would be so. But I did not know for sure.

You have now stated the facts here. It is indeed, bi-partisan and the Legislative Council weighted to Republicans voted unanimously to move forward with the investigation.

Why didn’t Brokaw call him on this? Ignorance? If so, he had no business interviewing the former Mayor of NYC.

[…] and void. This excerpt from Mudflats isn’t the most recent, but gives you some idea of how the plot has thickened, and why Alaskans are bristling at the interference from “outside”: Today, we learned […]

Sarah Palin lets the John McCain campaign run Alaska while she screws around…

Every time I take a tour of a few Alaskan blogs, all I see is that they are fucking pissed that Palin has backed down on her multiple public promises to cooperate fully with the investigation.

Exampl……

20092008

Stormy C(15:46:42) :

This is from a blogger on the Huffingtonpost
———–
“Did you know that there was a HUGE anti Palin protest a few days ago (9/14) in Anchorage? Check out the pictures and viedeo! Good for them! Hopefully they will hook up live video and we can all watch it online, since the media isn’t interested in covering it.

Maybe we can have a national PROTEST: THANKS, BUT NO THANKS MCAIN/PALIN DAY!.